Using emerging genome data to identify conserved bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) 2 gene expression mechanisms

Comparing genomes from diverse species has revealed surprisingly high conservation between proteins of vastly different organisms, e.g. 75% of pufferfish proteins have human counterparts. Thus subtle variation in the expression of master developmental control genes, like Bone Morphogenetic Protein (Bmp)2, is central to species differentiation. Understanding the evolution of the complex transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms required to precisely regulate such genes requires novel, interdisciplinary approaches. We describe here our efforts towards defining Bmp2 gene expression determinants by combining functional assays with computational analyses of emerging genome data. Our results suggest that both primary sequence and more subtle parameters such as nucleotide composition control Bmp2 expression at the post-transcriptional level.