Expansion and Functional Divergence of Inositol Polyphosphate 5-Phosphatases in Angiosperms

Inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (5PTase), a key enzyme that hydrolyzes the 5′ position of the inositol ring, has essential functions in growth, development, and stress responses in plants, yeasts, and animals. However, the evolutionary history and patterns of 5PTases have not been examined systematically. Here, we report a comprehensive molecular evolutionary analysis of the 5PTase gene family and define four groups. These four groups are different from former classifications, which were based on in vitro substrate specificity. Most orthologous groups appear to be conserved as single or low-copy genes in all lineages in Groups II–IV, whereas 5PTase genes in Group I underwent several duplication events in angiosperm, resulting in multiple gene copies. Whole-genome duplication (WGD) was the main mechanism for 5PTase duplications in angiosperm. Plant 5PTases have more members than that of animals, and most plant 5PTase genes appear to have evolved under strong purifying selection. The paralogs have diverged in substrate specificity and expression pattern, showing evidence of selection pressure. Meanwhile, the increase in 5PTases and divergences in sequence, expression, and substrate might have contributed to the divergent functions of 5PTase genes, allowing the angiosperms to successfully adapt to a great number of ecological niches.