Computational Analysis of Evolutionary Relationship of a Family of Cold Shock Proteins in Ten Mammalian Species

Aims: This study was carried out to evaluate the evolutionary relationship of a family of cold shock proteins (CSP) in ten mammalian species using bioinformatics tools and soft wares such as Genbank, FASTA, BLAST and MEGA 5.

Sample: Twenty protein sequences of both RBM3 and CIRP proteins of some selected mammalian species were downloaded from NCBI database.

Study Design: Computational analysis to evaluate the evolutionary relationship of the CSP was carried out by estimating the phylogenic relationship of CSP in the different mammalian species studied.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Calabar.

Methodology: The molecular evolution and genetic analysis, version 5 (MEGA 5) software was used to determine the evolutionary relationship of both CIRP and RBM3 in the ten mammalian species studied by constructing phylogenic tree using the amino acid sequences of protein retrieved from NCBI.

Results: The highest identity (100%) was observed between Ovis aries and Bos Taurus; Rattus norvegicus and Mus-musculus while the least percentage identity was observed between Pan troglodytes and Bos taurus (84%). The phylogenic relationship using UPGMA based on Jones-Taylor-Thornton (JTT) matrix model revealed high relationship.

Conclusion: It was observed that evolutionary relationship of CIRP and RBM3 revealed high relatedness among the mammalian species studied.