In-silico Phylogenetic Analysis of ERBB Receptor Protein Tyrosine Kinase Gene Family

Abstract

The ERBB is a member of protein-tyrosine kinase gene family. The extracellular component of the ERBB proteins consists of domains I–IV. Insufficient ERBB signaling in humans are associated with neurodegenerative diseases and excessive ERBB signaling linked with the development of solid tumor. The ERBB receptors are targets for anticancer drugs. In the current study, presently available set of protein data for a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate genomes were taken for the phylogenetic analysis of highly momentous and functionally diverse ERBB protein family. Phylogenetic analysis of ERBB family depicts speciation and many duplication events that majorly occur in vertebrate lineage. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that first speciation occurs at the root of vertebrates and invertebrates lineage. First duplication separates ERBB3 from the rest of the family members. Second duplication results in the divergence of ERBB4 form ERBB2 and EGFR. As a result of third duplication, the ERBB2 diverged from EGFR. The topology for ERBB family comes in the form (A)(BCD), with ERBB3 falling outside the cluster of ((ERBB2, EGFR) ERBB4). The major duplications occur within the time window of deuterostomes-protostomes and actinopterygii-sarcopterygii split. The phylogenetic analysis of the ERBB family shows its high conservation and evolutionary significance. Phylogenetic tree showed chromosomal segmental duplications or small scale duplications which occurred at different time points during chordate evolution. This study will assist the evolutionary biologist to better understand the ancestral relationship and functional behavior of ERBB gene family.

Keywords: ERBB, protein-tyrosine kinase, Phylogenetic analysis, Segmental duplications

Cite this Article:

Khokhar Muhammad Waqas, Khan Muhammad Taimoor. In-silico Phylogenetic Analysis of ERBB Receptor Protein Tyrosine Kinase Gene Family. Research and Reviews: Journal of Computational Biology (RRJoCB). 2015; 4(1): 15–21p.