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Related Concept Videos

Pleiotropy01:33

Pleiotropy

Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...

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Quantitative Comparison of cis-Regulatory Element (CRE) Activities in Transgenic Drosophila melanogaster
08:19

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Published on: December 19, 2011

Repeated morphological evolution through cis-regulatory changes in a pleiotropic gene.

Benjamin Prud'homme1, Nicolas Gompel, Antonis Rokas

  • 1University of Wisconsin and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bock Laboratories, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.

Nature
|April 21, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Independent evolution of complex traits, like wing patterns in Drosophila, often involves the same gene, yellow. Regulatory changes in cis-regulatory elements (CREs) drive these repeated gains and losses, shaping evolutionary novelty.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental genetics
  • Molecular evolution

Background:

  • Independent evolution of similar traits (morphological similarities) is common.
  • For simple traits, mutations in the same gene may explain repeated evolution.
  • For complex traits, genetic pathways are less understood, especially the molecular mechanisms and constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the independent evolution of complex traits.
  • Determine the extent to which genetic paths are constrained for complex trait evolution.
  • Analyze the evolution of a male wing pigmentation pattern in a Drosophila clade.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomics
  • Functional analysis of cis-regulatory elements (CREs)
  • Molecular evolution studies in Drosophila

Main Results:

  • A male wing pigmentation pattern was gained and lost multiple times in Drosophila.
  • Both gains and losses involved regulatory changes in the pleiotropic gene yellow.
  • Losses resulted from parallel inactivation of the same CRE; gains involved co-option of distinct ancestral CREs.

Conclusions:

  • Functional diversification of modular CREs in pleiotropic genes drives evolutionary novelty.
  • This mechanism explains the independent evolution of morphological similarities.
  • Understanding CREs provides insight into the genetic basis of adaptation and speciation.