Sequence Characterization of Glutamate Receptor Genes of Rat (Vertebrate) and Arabidopsis Thaliana (Plant)

Abstract

iGluR gene family of a vertebrate (rat) and glutamate-like receptor (AtGLR) gene family of plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) by Darwin and Darwin (in The Power of Movement in Plants, 1880) perform few similar kind of functionalities in neurotransmission. These have been compared quantitatively depending upon the biochemical characteristics of 20 amino acids comprising the amino acid sequences of the aforesaid genes. 19 AtGLR genes and 16 iGluR genes have been taken as datasets. Thus, we detected the commonalities (conserved elements) which plants and animals have got from a common ancestor during the long evolution by Darwin and Darwin (in The Power of Movement in Plants, 1880). Eight different conserved regions have been found based on individual amino acids. Different conserved regions are also found, which are based on chemical groups of amino acids. We have tried to find out different possible patterns which are common throughout the dataset taken. Nine such patterns have been found with size varying from 3 to 5 amino acids at different regions in each primary protein sequence. Phylogenetic trees of AtGLR and iGluR families have also been constructed. This approach is likely to shed lights on the long course of evolution.