Evolutionary innovation of the excretory system in Caenorhabditis elegans
Xiaodong Wang1, Helen M Chamberlin
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
Nature Genetics
|February 6, 2004
Abstract:
The evolution of complexity relies on changes that result in new gene functions. Here we show that the unique morphological and functional features of the excretory duct cell in C. elegans result from the gain of expression of a single gene. Our results show that innovation can be achieved by altered expression of a transcription factor without coevolution of all target genes.
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