Lampetra fluviatilis neurotrophin homolog, descendant of a neurotrophin ancestor, discloses the early molecular evolution of neurotrophins in the vertebrate subphylum.

We have isolated a neurotrophin from the lamprey that permitted us to perform a phylogenetic analysis of the neurotrophin gene family that dates back more than 460 million years to the early vertebrate ancestors. The results show that the neurotrophin gene family was originally formed by two subsequent duplications. The duplication that formed nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and neurotrophin-4/5 occurred after the split of lampreys but before the split of cartilaginous fish from the main vertebrate lineage. Compilation of chromosomal gene maps around the neurotrophins shows that they are located in paralogous regions, suggesting that the genes were formed at major duplication events possibly by complete genome doubling. Analysis of two isolated Trk receptor sequences shows similar results as for the lamprey neurotrophin. Multiple neurotrophin and Trk genes, including neurotrophin-6 and -7, have been found in bony fish, and we suggest that the extra genes were formed by an additional duplication in the bony fish lineage. Analysis of lamprey Trk mRNA expression in the adult brain shows that the genes are expressed in all regions analyzed so far. Together, the results suggest that the duplications of ancestral neurotrophin and Trk genes at an early vertebrate stage have permitted evolution to bring about differential neurotrophin and Trk expression, thereby allowing the formation of specific functions in selective neuronal populations.