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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,...
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
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Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
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...
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
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Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

An Optimized Protocol for Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay Using Infrared Fluorescent Dye-labeled Oligonucleotides
09:58

An Optimized Protocol for Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay Using Infrared Fluorescent Dye-labeled Oligonucleotides

Published on: November 29, 2016

Evolution of the insect Sox genes.

Megan J Wilson1, Peter K Dearden

  • 1Laboratory for Evolution and Development, National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. meganj.wilson@otago.ac.nz

BMC Evolutionary Biology
|April 29, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Insect genomes contain eight to nine Sox genes, crucial for development. Honeybee SoxB genes show rapid evolution of function and expression domains, maintaining overall patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Sox genes are critical transcriptional regulators in development across vertebrates.
  • The Sox gene family is divided into groups based on conserved HMG domains.
  • Eight Sox genes in Drosophila melanogaster are implicated in neurogenesis, patterning, and segmentation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and classify Sox family members in various insect genomes.
  • To determine the expression patterns of honeybee Sox genes during embryonic and adult development.
  • To infer the evolutionary roles and functional diversification of Sox genes in insects.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequence analysis to identify Sox family members.
  • Phylogenetic classification using HMG domains.

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  • In situ hybridization to analyze gene expression patterns in honeybee embryos, brains, and ovaries.

    • Main Results:

    • Sox genes were identified and phylogenetically classified across Apis mellifera, Nasonia vitripennis, Tribolium castaneum, and Anopheles gambiae.
    • Honeybee SoxB genes are expressed in the nervous system, brain, and Malpighian tubules.
    • Specific Sox genes (AmSox21b, AmSoxB1) showed restricted localization suggesting roles in oocyte patterning, while others (AmSoxC, D, F, E) had broader or specific expression in ovaries and testes.

    Conclusions:

    • Insect genomes typically possess eight to nine Sox genes, with variations in subgroup representation.
    • Hymenopteran insects may have an additional SoxE gene due to duplication.
    • Honeybee SoxB genes exhibit rapid functional evolution and domain plasticity, while preserving conserved expression patterns.