Phylogenetic Analysis Of T-box Genes

T (Brachyury) was found by scientists in1927. After that many genes that have homologous DNA-binding domains have been classified into T family and this gene family was then named T-box family. After immense amounts of research, scientists found that T-box genes play important roles in all species’ developmental processes. Mutations of T-box genes will lead to many developmental disorders. For example, Tbx3mutations will cause Ular-Mammary syndrome and Tbx5will cause Holt-Oram syndrome.All T-box transcript factors have the same featured structure. It is a DNA-binding domain with180amino acids on the N terminal, called T-box domain. T-box domain’s sequence is highly conserved, while other parts of T-box transcript factors do not have similarities. Scientists have carried out homologous analyses over T-box family members, but few researches have been focused on the species used in their analyses. These researches include separate analyses of different species and newly found gene members. As a result, their significance is reducing because modern bioinformatics research needs to keep up with the time. With this factor considered, a more thorough and accurate evolutionary analyses of T-box family is of much importance.This research tries to find the consistency between human and other species’T-box sequences in order to uncover the phylogenetic relationship inside them. This phylogenetic relationship is revealed in two aspects:find the ancient genes of gene family; find the changes of sites inside T-box genes during the process of evolution. What’s more, this research finds some key species during evolutionary process and then reckon several altered sites. The significance of this analysis is that it not only helps researchers know more about relationship between T-box family members, but also concludes regular patterns of T-box-gene expressions which affect growth of animals.Finally the result of evolutionary analysis over T-box family and the conclusion of T-box family information are displayed in a website. This website is established through MyEclipse and Tomcat, with MySQL database used in data storage and information interaction. This is the first attempt of combining T-box evolutionary analysis and website display. We can see much usefulness in this project.