Rapid divergence of the ecdysone receptor in Diptera and Lepidoptera suggests coevolution between ECR and USP-RXR
| dc.creator | Bonneton, François | |
| dc.creator | Zelus, Dominique | |
| dc.creator | Iwema, Thomas | |
| dc.creator | Robinson-Rechavi, Marc | |
| dc.creator | Laudet, Vincent | |
| dc.date | 2008-06-07 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T12:19:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T12:19:23Z | |
| dc.description | Ecdysteroid hormones are major regulators in reproduction and development of insects, including larval molts and metamorphosis. The functional ecdysone receptor is a heterodimer of ECR (NR1H1) and USP-RXR (NR2B4), which is the orthologue of vertebrate retinoid X receptors (RXR alpha, beta, gamma). Both proteins belong to the superfamily of nuclear hormone receptors, ligand-dependent transcription factors that share two conserved domains: the DNA-binding domain (DBD) and the ligand-binding domain (LBD). In order to gain further insight into the evolution of metamorphosis and gene regulation by ecdysone in arthropods, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of both partners of the heterodimer ECR/USP-RXR. Overall, 38 USP-RXR and 19 ECR protein sequences, from 33 species, have been used for this analysis. Interestingly, sequence alignments and structural comparisons reveal high divergence rates, for both ECR and USP-RXR, specifically among Diptera and Lepidoptera. The most impressive differences affect the ligand-binding domain of USP-RXR. In addition, ECR sequences show variability in other domains, namely the DNA-binding and the carboxy-terminal F domains. Our data provide the first evidence that ECR and USP-RXR may have coevolved during holometabolous insect diversification, leading to a functional divergence of the ecdysone receptor. These results have general implications on fundamental aspects of insect development, evolution of nuclear receptors, and the design of specific insecticides. | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/0806.1267 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/0806.1267 | |
| dc.identifier | Molecular Biology and Evolution 4, 20 (2003) 541-553 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/212733 | |
| dc.subject | Populations and Evolution | |
| dc.title | Rapid divergence of the ecdysone receptor in Diptera and Lepidoptera suggests coevolution between ECR and USP-RXR | |
| dc.type | text |