Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression
Published on: March 29, 2019
Emergence of a new gene from an intergenic region
Tobias J A J Heinen1, Fabian Staubach, Daniela Häming
1Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemannstrasse 2, 24306 Ploen, Germany.
Abstract:
It is generally assumed that new genes would arise by gene duplication mechanisms, because the signals for regulation and transcript processing would be unlikely to evolve in parallel with a new gene function. We have identified here a transcript in the house mouse (Mus musculus) that has arisen within the past 2.5-3.5 million years in a large intergenic region. The region is present in many mammals, including humans, allowing us to exclude the involvement of gene duplication, transposable elements, or other genome rearrangements, which are typically found for other cases of newly evolved genes. The gene has three exons, shows alternative splicing, and is specifically expressed in postmeiotic cells of the testis. The transcript is restricted to species within the genus Mus and its emergence correlates with indel mutations in the 5' regulatory region of the transcript. A recent selective sweep is associated with the transcript region in M. m. musculus populations. A knockout in the laboratory strain BL6 results in reduced sperm motility and reduced testis weight. Our results show that cryptic signals for transcript regulation and processing exist in intergenic regions and can become the basis for the evolution of a new functional gene.
Related Concept Videos
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Gene Duplication and Divergence
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.
Reporter Genes
Commonly used reporter...
Gene Conversion

