Asymmetric paralog evolution between the “cryptic” gene Bmp16 and its well-studied sister genes Bmp2 and Bmp4

The vertebrate gene repertoire is characterized by "cryptic" genes whose identification has been hampered by their absence from the genomes of well-studied species. One example is the Bmp16 gene, a paralog of the developmental key genes Bmp2 and -4. We focus on the Bmp2/4/16 group of genes to study the evolutionary dynamics following gen(om)e duplications with special emphasis on the poorly studied Bmp16 gene. We reveal the presence of Bmp16 in chondrichthyans in addition to previously reported teleost fishes and reptiles. Using comprehensive, vertebrate-wide gene sampling, our phylogenetic analysis complemented with synteny analyses suggests that Bmp2, -4 and -16 are remnants of a gene quartet that originated…

• WF
  Wenner-Gren Foundation
• AV
  Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
• UO
  University of Oxford
• HO
  Home Office
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

  Award: KU2669/1-1
• UK
  Universität Konstanz
• R
  RIKEN