[Molecular evolution of GAGE gene family].

The gene family GAGE is characterized to be expressed in testis and a portion of tumors, which is considered to be a candidate for diagnostic marker and immunotherapy target. The present study revealed that GAGE gene is unique to primate lineage. At least 15 duplicates with low divergence were found to be clustered in human X chromosome, while chimpanzee and macaque has 3 and 4 in a similar manner. The phylogenetic tree for the duplicates was constructed and the age of the duplication events was estimated, which was ranged from 4 million years ago to present. The Ka/Ks value of the duplicates was significantly greater than 1, indicating that GAGE family is under positive selection. Based on this study, GAGE may contribute to the characteristics of primate species, and the role of GAGE gene in evolution and in the genesis of gametid and tumor deserves further investigation.