ECMME: Comprehensive Atlas of Evolutionary Selection Pressures on Mammalian Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Researchers analyzed selection pressures across 272 human extracellular matrix proteins using sequences from 228 mammal species, revealing strong purifying selection alongside episodic positive selection, particularly in collagens. The extracellular matrix is fundamental to multicellular life, providing structural support and regulatory functions. The findings, made accessible through the ECMME browser tool, help researchers understand how evolutionary constraints shape these essential proteins.
A comprehensive study examined molecular-level evolutionary dynamics of core extracellular matrix (ECM) components by analyzing orthologous sequences from up to 228 placental mammal species across 272 human matrisome proteins. Using an automated pipeline integrating ortholog identification, codon-aware alignments, and site-specific selection analyses via HyPhy methods (MEME and FUBAR), researchers found pervasive strong purifying selection across the matrisome, consistent with its structural and functional importance. The analysis also identified episodic positive selection and rarer pervasive positive selection, with collagens showing significantly elevated episodic positive selection compared to glycoproteins and proteoglycans. To enable broader access, the team developed ECMME (ECM Molecular Evolution), an open-access web browser that visualizes selection metrics mapped onto protein topologies, allowing researchers to investigate functional sites without requiring local installation.
Limitations & open questions
The study does not specify the evolutionary timescale over which these selection patterns emerged, nor does it detail the functional implications of the identified positive selection sites in collagens relative to other ECM proteins.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
ECMME: an atlas of selection pressures on the mammalian extracellular matrix reveals contrasting evolutionary dynamics
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