Woodland, Hugh R. and Fry, Andrew M. (2008) Pix proteins and the evolution of centrioles. PLoS One, Vol.3 (No.11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003778

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Abstract

We have made a wide phylogenetic survey of Pix proteins, which are constituents of vertebrate centrioles in most eukaryotes.
We have also surveyed the presence and structure of flagella or cilia and centrioles in these organisms, as far as is possible from
published information. We find that Pix proteins are present in a vast range of eukaryotes, but not all. Where centrioles are
absent so are Pix proteins. If one considers the maintenance of Pix proteins over evolutionary time scales, our analysis would
suggest that their key function is to make cilia and flagella, and the same is true of centrioles. Moreover, this survey raises the
possibility that Pix proteins are only maintained to make cilia and flagella that undulate, and even then only when they are
constructed by transporting ciliary constituents up the cilium using the intraflagellar transport (IFT) system. We also find that
Pix proteins have become generally divergent within Ecdysozoa and between this group and other taxa. This correlates with a
simplification of centrioles within Ecdysozoa and a loss or divergence of cilia/flagella. Thus Pix proteins act as a weathervane to
indicate changes in centriole function, whose core activity is to make cilia and flagella.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QP Physiology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) > Biological Sciences ( -2010)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Centrioles -- Phylogeny, Proteins -- Phylogeny
Journal or Publication Title:	PLoS One
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
ISSN:	1932-6203
Official Date:	20 November 2008
Dates:	Date Event 20 November 2008 Published
Volume:	Vol.3
Number:	No.11
Number of Pages:	8
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0003778
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (BBSRC), Wellcome Trust (London, England)

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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