Ligand binding was acquired during evolution of nuclear receptors

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.13.6803
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:31:39Z
• Authors: Hector Escriva; Rachid Safi; Catherine Hänni; Marie-Claire Lang...; Pierre Saumitou-L...; Dominique Stehelin; André Capron; Raymond Pierce; Vincent Laudet
• Keywords: Evolution, Molecular; 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Animals; Humans; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; Amino Acid Sequence; Ligands; Sequence Analysis

The nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily comprises, in addition to ligand-activated transcription factors, members for which no ligand has been identified date. We demonstrate that orphan receptors are randomly distributed the evolutionary tree and there is relationship between position of a given liganded chemical nature its ligand. NRs specific metazoans, as revealed by screen NR-related sequences early- non-metazoan organisms. analysis NR gene duplication pattern during evolution metazoans shows present diversity arose from two waves duplications. Strikingly, our results suggest ancestral was an acquired ligand-binding ability subsequent evolution.