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Early evolution of conserved regulatory sequences associated with development in vertebrates
Gayle K McEwen1, Debbie K Goode, Hugo J Parker
1School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Plos Genetics
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) function as developmental enhancers in vertebrates. Sea lamprey CNEs, though shorter, drive similar expression patterns in zebrafish, indicating CNEs are a defining vertebrate trait.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Highly conserved non-coding sequences (CNEs) function as enhancers in vertebrate development.
- These elements are conserved across jawed vertebrates but largely absent in invertebrates.
- The evolutionary origins and precise function of CNEs remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the conservation of CNEs in jawless fish (agnathans), the earliest diverging vertebrate lineage.
- To explore the functional conservation of CNEs using sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) genomic data.
- To understand the evolutionary role of CNEs in vertebrate development.
Main Methods:
- Searched for conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) associated with 13 human gene loci in the sea lamprey genome.
- Compared identified lamprey CNEs with those in jawed vertebrates.
- Assessed the enhancer activity of lamprey CNEs in zebrafish embryos.
Main Results:
- Identified sea lamprey CNEs associated with 11 out of 13 human gene regions studied.
- Lamprey CNEs were shorter and less conserved than those in jawed vertebrates.
- Lamprey CNEs drove expression patterns in zebrafish embryos nearly identical to human CNEs.
Conclusions:
- Conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) are a unique and defining characteristic of all vertebrates, present even in the earliest lineages.
- Functional studies of lamprey CNEs provide insights into the core regulatory code for vertebrate development.
- Alignment of CNEs across vertebrates will help elucidate their regulatory language and evolutionary history.
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