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Preservation of duplicate genes by originalization
1College of Life Sciences, University of Sun Yet-Sen, Guangzhou, China, lflf27@yahoo.com.cn.
Genetica
|August 30, 2008
Summary
Duplicate genes can be preserved through a novel mechanism called originalization, where both copies remain functional under purifying selection. This process, observed in yeast, offers a temporary yet effective way to maintain gene duplication.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Traditional models like neofunctionalization, subfunctionalization, and gene dosage struggle to explain the long-term preservation of many duplicate genes from whole-genome duplication (WGD) events.
- A significant proportion of duplicate genes in natural populations, exemplified by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, persist despite lacking clear functional divergence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and investigate "originalization" as a novel mechanism for duplicate gene preservation.
- To determine if originalization can explain the high frequency of intact duplicate gene retention in populations under purifying selection.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis using mathematical models.
- Numerical simulations to explore evolutionary dynamics.
- Population genetics simulations to assess gene preservation over time.
Main Results:
- Originalization allows for the simultaneous preservation of both duplicate genes under purifying selection.
- With similar mutation rates at duplicated loci, the mean time to nonfunctionalization is significantly extended for unlinked, haploinsufficient gene duplications.
- Analytical, numerical, and simulation results consistently support the prolonged preservation of duplicate genes via originalization.
Conclusions:
- Originalization presents a viable alternative mechanism for duplicate gene preservation.
- This process can account for the high frequency of intact duplicate gene retention observed in natural populations.
- Originalization offers a temporary but effective evolutionary strategy for maintaining gene redundancy.
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The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
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Gene families consist of groups of genes proposed to have originated from a common ancestor. Typically these arise through events in which a gene or genes are mistakenly duplicated during cell division. Unlike their parent genes (which are subject to selection pressure to maintain function), these gene copies do not need to preserve their sequences and may evolve at a relatively faster rate.
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
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