Frequent Loss and Alteration of the MOXD2 Gene in Catarrhines and Whales: A Possible Connection with the Evolution of Olfaction

• Published in: PLoS ONE
• Main Authors: Kim, Dong Seon, Wang, Yao, Oh, Hye Ji, Lee, Kangseok, Hahn, Yoonsoo
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science 2014
• Subjects: Research Article; Gibbon; baleen whales; toothed whales
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4125168; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25102179; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0104085

The MOXD2 gene encodes a membrane-bound monooxygenase similar to dopamine-β-hydroxylase, and has been proposed to be associated with olfaction. In this study, we analyzed MOXD2 genes from 64 mammalian species, and identified loss-of-function mutations in apes (humans, Sumatran and Bornean orangutans...