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Gene co-option in physiological and morphological evolution.

John R True1, Sean B Carroll

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-5245, USA. jrtrue@life.bio.sunysb.edu

Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
|July 27, 2002
PubMed
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Natural selection repurposes existing genes and traits for new functions, driving evolutionary novelty. This gene co-option process, often involving gene duplication, is key to adaptive change in multicellular organisms.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Co-option is a key evolutionary mechanism where natural selection recruits existing genes, organs, or structures for novel functions.
  • Gene co-option can involve changes in gene regulation, protein function, or both, often following gene duplication and specialization.
  • While its role in developmental evolution is assumed, the molecular basis of co-option in developmental pathways requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize case studies of structural gene and developmental genetic circuit co-option.
  • To discuss the role of co-option in major adaptive changes in multicellular organisms.
  • To propose intraspecific gene expression variability as a source material for co-option and integrate findings with gene family evolution models.

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Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing literature on gene co-option.
  • Analysis of case studies involving structural proteins and developmental pathways.
  • Integration of comparative developmental and genomic data with evolutionary models.

Main Results:

  • Gene co-option, through regulatory or functional changes, generates novelties and underlies adaptive evolution.
  • Gene duplication followed by paralog specialization is a common route for co-option.
  • Intraspecific gene expression variability provides raw material for co-optive evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Co-option is a fundamental process driving evolutionary innovation by repurposing the genetic toolkit.
  • Understanding co-option mechanisms provides a framework for evolutionary novelty in multicellular life.
  • Further research into developmental co-option and gene family evolution is crucial.