Convergent evolution and mimicry of protein linear motifs in hostpathogen interactions

CHEMES L.B.

BAHIA BLANCA

Congreso; VI Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Bioinformática; 2015

CA2BC

Pathogen linear motif mimics are highly evolvable elements thatfacilitate rewiring of host protein interaction networks. Hostlinear motifs and pathogen mimics differ in sequence, leadingto thermodynamic and structural differences in the resultingprotein?protein interactions. Moreover, the functional output ofa mimic depends on the motif and domain repertoire of thepathogen protein. Regulatory evolution mediated by linearmotifs can be understood by measuring evolutionary rates,quantifying positive and negative selection and performingphylogenetic reconstructions of linear motif natural history.Convergent evolution of linear motif mimics is widespreadamong unrelated proteins from viral, prokaryotic andeukaryotic pathogens and can also take place within individualprotein phylogenies. Statistics, biochemistry and laboratorymodels of infection link pathogen linear motifs to phenotypictraits such as tropism, virulence and oncogenicity. In vitroevolution experiments and analysis of natural sequencessuggest that changes in linear motif composition underliepathogen adaptation to a changing environment.