Stomach lysozyme gene of the langur monkey: Tests for convergence and positive selection

Summary Genomic blotting and enzymatic amplification show that the genome of the langur monkey (like that of other primates) contains only a single gene for lysozymec, in contrast to another group of foregut fermenters, the ruminants, which have a multigene family encoding this protein. Therefore, the langur stomach lysozyme gene has probably evolved recently (i.e., within the period of monkey evolution) from a conventional primate lysozyme. The sequences of cDNAs for the stomach lysozyme of langur and the conventional lysozymes of three other Old World monkeys were determined. Identification of the promoter for the stomach gene and comparison to the human gene, which is expressed conventionally in macrophages, show that both lysozyme genes use the same promoter. This suggests that the difference in expression patterns is due to change(s) in enhancer or silencer regulatory elements. With the cDNA sequences the hypothesis that the langur stomach lysozyme has converged in amino acid sequence upon the stomach lysozymes of ruminants is tested. Consistent with the convergence hypothesis, only those sites that specify amino acids in the mature lysozyme are shared uniquely with ruminant lysozyme genes. None of the silent sites at third positions of codons or in noncoding regions support a link between the langur and ruminants. Statistical analysis based on silent sites rules out the possibility of horizontal transfer of a stomach lysozyme gene between the langur and ruminant lineages and supports the close relationship of the langur lysozyme gene to that of other monkeys.