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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.08.030 Byline: Manisha Goel (a), Arcady Mushegian (a)(b) Keywords: S. purpuratus; Sea urchin; Comparative genomics; Metabolic pathways; Thiaminase; Urea cycle; Cholesterol; Phosphoglyerate mutase Abstract: The genome sequence of the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus recently became available. We report the results of functional annotation and initial analysis of more than 2300 proteins predicted to be involved in metabolite transport and enzymatic conversion in sea urchin. The comparison of various reconstructed biosynthetic and catabolic pathways in sea urchin to those known in other genomes suggests the overall similarity of the sea urchin metabolism to that of the vertebrates, with relatively small but non-trivial differences from both vertebrates and protostomes. There are several examples of two parallel, non-orthologous solutions for the same molecular function in sea urchin, in contrast with the other completely sequenced metazoans that tend to contain just one version of the same function. There are also genes that appear to be close phylogenetic neighbors of plant or bacterial homologs, as opposed to homologs in other Metazoa. The evolutionary and functional significance of these variations is discussed. Author Affiliation: (a) Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th St., Kansas City, MO 64110, USA (b) Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA Article History: Received 8 May 2006; Revised 10 August 2006; Accepted 16 August 2006

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.09.012 Byline: Antonio Fernandez-Guerra (a), Antoine Aze (a), Julia Morales (b), Odile Mulner-Lorillon (b), Bertrand Cosson (b), Patrick Cormier (b), Cynthia Bradham (c), Nikki Adams (d), Anthony J. Robertson (e), William F. Marzluff (f), James A. Coffman (e), Anne-Marie Geneviere (a) Keywords: Sea urchin; Cell cycle; Replication; Mitosis; Checkpoint; Kinases Abstract: A search of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus genome for genes associated with cell cycle control and DNA metabolism shows that the known repertoire of these genes is conserved in the sea urchin, although with fewer family members represented than in vertebrates, and with some cases of echinoderm-specific gene diversifications. For example, while homologues of the known cyclins are mostly encoded by single genes in S. purpuratus (unlike vertebrates, which have multiple isoforms), there are additional genes encoding novel cyclins of the B and K/L types. Almost all known cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) or CDK-like proteins have an orthologue in S. purpuratus; CDK3 is one exception, whereas CDK4 and 6 are represented by a single homologue, referred to as CDK4. While the complexity of the two families of mitotic kinases, Polo and Aurora, is close to that found in the nematode, the diversity of the NIMA-related kinases (NEK proteins) approaches that of vertebrates. Among the nine NEK proteins found in S. purpuratus, eight could be assigned orthologues in vertebrates, whereas the ninth is unique to sea urchins. Most known DNA replication, DNA repair and mitotic checkpoint genes are also present, as are homologues of the pRB (two) and p53 (one) tumor suppressors. Interestingly, the p21/p27 family of CDK inhibitors is represented by one homologue, whereas the INK4 and ARF families of tumor suppressors appear to be absent, suggesting that these evolved only in vertebrates. Our results suggest that, while the cell cycle control mechanisms known from other animals are generally conserved in sea urchin, parts of the machinery have diversified within the echinoderm lineage. The set of genes uncovered in this analysis of the S. purpuratus genome should enhance future research on cell cycle control and developmental regulation in this model. Author Affiliation: (a) Observatoire Oceanologique de Banyuls-Laboratoire Arago, CNRS-UMR7628/UPMC, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France (b) Station Biologique de Roscoff, CNRS-UMR7150/UPMC, 29680 Roscoff, France (c) Developmental, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Group, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA (d) Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA (e) Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, ME, USA (f) Program in Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Article History: Received 30 May 2006; Revised 6 September 2006; Accepted 7 September 2006

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