Evolution of the protein domain repertoire of eukaryotes reveals strong functional patterns

Abstract

Background Eukaryotes exhibit massive variation in their morphological complexity, ranging from protists to basal animals, such as Trichoplax adhaerens with only four different cell types, to mammals with ~ 210 different cell types [1]. Yet, the number of protein coding genes in eukaryotic genomes remains remarkably constant. Here, we attempt to shed some light on this paradox by analyzing eukaryotic genome evolution with a protein function centric view.