Journal
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
Volume 56, Issue 11, Pages 6255-6264Publisher
ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.15-17726
Keywords
retinitis pigmentosa; RPGR; gene structure; evolution; cilia; photoreceptors
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Funding
- Royal Society of London
- TENOVUS Scotland
- Medical Research Council
- National Eye Research Centre
- Visual Research Trust
- Fight for Sight
- RP Fighting Blindness
- W.H. Ross Foundation
- Rosetrees Trust
- Yorkhill Children's Charity
- Fight for Sight [URP12, 1419/20] Funding Source: researchfish
- Medical Research Council [MC_U127584475, MC_PC_U127584475] Funding Source: researchfish
- Rosetrees Trust [M160-F1] Funding Source: researchfish
- MRC [MC_U127584475] Funding Source: UKRI
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PURPOSE. The evolutionary conservation of the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene was examined across vertebrate and invertebrate lineages to elucidate its function. METHODS. Orthologous RPGR sequences from vertebrates and invertebrates were selected. Multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetic analyses, synteny, and gene structure comparisons were carried out. Expression of the alternatively spliced constitutive (RPGR(const) or RPGR(ex1-19)) and RPGR(ORF15) isoforms was examined in developing and adult zebrafish. RESULTS. Phylogenetic analyses and syntenic relationships were consistent with the selected sequences being true orthologues, although whole genome duplications in teleost fish resulted in a more complex picture. The splice form RPGR(const) was present in all vertebrate and invertebrate species but the defining carboxyl (C)-terminal exon of RPGR(ORF15) was absent from all invertebrates. The regulator of chromosome condensation (RCC1)-like domain adopts a seven-bladed beta-propeller structure, which was present in both major splice forms and strongly conserved across evolution. The repetitive acidic region of RPGR(ORF15) showed a high rate of in-frame deletions/insertions across nine primate species, compared with flanking sequences, consistent with an unstable and rapidly evolving region. In zebrafish, RPGR(const) transcripts were most strongly expressed in early development, while the RPGR(ORF15) isoform showed highest expression in adult eye. CONCLUSIONS. The regulator of chromosome condensation 1-like domain of RPGR was conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates, but RPGR(ORF15) was unique to vertebrates, consistent with a proposed role in the ciliary-based transport of cargoes such as rhodopsin, which is similar to 10 times more abundant in vertebrate than invertebrate photoreceptors. The repetitive acidic region of RPGR(ORF15) shows a rapid rate of evolution, consistent with a mutation hot spot.
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