Molecular Evolution and Protein Structure Variation of Dkk Family

    September 2023 in “ Genes ”
    Binhong Wen, Sile Hu, Jun Yin, Jianghong Wu, Wenrui Guo
    TLDR Dkk genes evolved faster in birds and reptiles, affecting hair development functions.
    The study investigates the Dkk gene family's role in inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway, which is crucial for skin and hair development. It reveals that after speciation, the evolution rate of Dkk genes accelerated in Aves and Reptilia, with positive selection at specific sites. The functional divergence analysis shows that most divergence sites are in the Cys-2 domain, affecting the Dkk family's binding to LRP5/6 and thus their role in inhibiting Wnt signaling. This leads to different functions of Dkk1, Dkk2, and Dkk4 in hair follicle development. The Dkk families in Aves and Reptilia have likely undergone adaptive evolution and functional divergence.
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