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Related Experiment Videos

Convergent evolution in primates and an insectivore.

Dario Boffelli1, Jan-Fang Cheng, Edward M Rubin

  • 1Genome Sciences Department, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

Genomics
|December 12, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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The cardiovascular risk factor LPA independently evolved in primates and hedgehogs, not through loss in other species. This convergent evolution involved similar molecular mechanisms in these distinct mammals.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genomics
  • Mammalian genetics

Background:

  • The lipoprotein(a) (LPA) gene, a cardiovascular risk factor, exhibits an unusual distribution across mammals.
  • Its presence is primarily observed in certain primates and the hedgehog, an insectivore.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origins and history of the LPA gene.
  • To understand the distribution patterns of LPA across different mammalian species.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomic sequence analysis was performed.
  • Multiple species with and without LPA gene products were studied, including humans, baboons, hedgehogs, lemurs, and mice.

Main Results:

  • The LPA gene arose independently in a subset of primates (e.g., baboon, human) and the hedgehog.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evidence suggests LPA was not lost in species lacking it but evolved convergently.
  • Structural similarities in LPA from hedgehogs and primates point to a shared molecular mechanism.

    • Conclusions:

    • The independent evolution of LPA in primates and hedgehogs highlights convergent molecular mechanisms.
    • This study clarifies the evolutionary trajectory of LPA, challenging previous hypotheses of gene loss.