Abstract:
Annexin proteins are a family of well characterized calcium-dependent membrane binding proteins with highly conserved sequences, but still a diversity of function and localization. There are 12 annexins observed in humans, with annexins A2, A5, A6, and A7 having extensive research in their roles in endocytosis, exocytosis, and reducing toxic effects of aggregated proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the identification of multiple annexins playing roles in neuronal processes, the need to further examine the remaining annexin proteins in a neuronal environment may provide vital information in their pathophysiological roles in neurodegenerative diseases. Lamprey provide large axons for observation of this interaction and their conserved neuronal pathways with humans will allow for application of the findings, making them a good model organism. Genome, transcriptome, and phylogenetic tree analysis were performed to identify annexins present in lamprey. Annexins A2, A4, A7, A8, A10, A11, and A13 were identified in lamprey with duplication events in A2, A7, and A13 which supports previous findings. Unidentified annexins were also present in lamprey and were named annexins A14, and A15. These lamprey annexin proteins should be validated with a more complete taxonomical phylogenetic tree and can then be applied to the model organism to observe specific neuronal roles of individual annexins.
