Gene duplication is a key first step in the process of expanding the functionality of a
multigene family. In order to better understand the process of gene duplication and its role in
the formation of new enzymes, we investigated recent duplication events in the M14 family of
proteolytic enzymes. Within vertebrates, four of 23 M14 genes were frequently found in
duplicate form. While AEBP1, CPXM1, and CPZ genes were duplicated once through a
large-scale, likely whole-genome duplication event, the CPO gene underwent many …

Changes in the genetic code occur frequently through, for example, DNA breaks and
recombination events, often leading to the duplication of genes. The M14 family of
metallocarboxypeptidases suggests such a history of gene duplication. We investigated
more recent duplication events in the M14 family of enzymes through analysis of genomic
data found in the Ensembl genome database. Of the 23 M14 genes found in most
vertebrates, four genes were present as two or more copies in many fish species. The …