Characterization and functional divergence of the 1-adrenoceptor gene family: insights from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

terization and functional divergence of the 1-adrenoceptor gene family: insights from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Physiol Genomics 32: 142–153, 2007. First published October 16, 2007; doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00258.2006.—Presently, three 1-adre-noceptor (AR) types are recognized in vertebrates: 1A-, 1B-, and 1D-ARs. These 1-subtypes have distinct pharmacology and molec-ular profiles, play crucial roles in metabolic and vascular control, and are the targets for numerous pharmaceuticals, especially those affect-ing blood pressure and vascular resistance. To better understand the functional divergence within the 1-AR gene family, we sequenced these 1-AR paralogs in the rainbow trout and performed an extensive phylogenetic analysis. We show that these AR genes evolved by duplication events just before the origin of the jawed vertebrates. Our computational analyses suggest that the differences between the three 1-AR subtypes may affect their tissue specificity, ligand specificity