Petar Pajic · Science Advances · Aug 26, 2022 Journal How novel gene functions evolve is a fundamental question in biology. Mucin proteins, a functionally but not evolutionarily defined group of proteins, allow the study of convergent evolution of gene function. By analyzing the genomic variation of mucins across a wide range of mammalian genomes, we propose that exonic repeats and their copy number variation contribute substantially to the de novo evolution of new gene functions, identifying 15 undescribed instances of evolutionary convergence in mucin origin.
Petar Pajic · Aug 19, 2022 Blog I led this project with the Stefan Ruhl Laboratory on how mucin proteins have evolved. Our work shows that the gain of exonic repeats on existing precursor genes led to the de novo evolution of mucin function in multiple mammalian lineages.
Petar Pajic · Journal of Virology · Apr 16, 2020 Journal Sialic acids (Sia) are the primary receptors for influenza viruses and are widely displayed on cell surfaces and in secreted mucus. Modifications of Sia in mucus may have potent effects on the functions of influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, affecting both pathogens and the normal flora of different mucosal sites.
Petar Pajic · eLife · May 14, 2019 Journal The amylase gene (AMY), which codes for a starch-digesting enzyme, underwent several gene copy number gains in humans, dogs, and mice, possibly along with increased starch consumption during the evolution of these species. We present comprehensive evidence for AMY copy number expansions that independently occurred in several mammalian species which consume starch-rich diets, and provide correlative evidence that AMY duplications may be an essential first step for amylase to gain expression in saliva.
Petar Pajic · BMC Ecology and Evolution · Dec 5, 2016 Journal A common, 32kb deletion of LCE3B and LCE3C genes is strongly associated with psoriasis and is ancient, predating Human-Denisovan divergence. We show that the haplotype harboring the deletion retains high allele frequency among extant and ancient human populations, harbors unusually high nucleotide variation, and has an unusually long coalescence time, consistent with the LCE3BC deletion having evolved under balancing selection — possibly a tradeoff between autoimmunity and pathogen exposure.