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Related Concept Videos

Multi-species Conserved Sequences02:51

Multi-species Conserved Sequences

Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale  studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved DNA...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
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Conservation of Small Populations

Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less likely to...

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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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Human variation in short regions predisposed to deep evolutionary conservation.

Gabriela G Loots1, Ivan Ovcharenko

  • 1Biology and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.

Molecular Biology and Evolution
|January 23, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Conserved genomic regions called "bricks" are overrepresented in gene promoters, indicating their role in gene regulation. Human lineage shows rapid brick evolution, suggesting adaptation and regulatory plasticity.

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Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Millions of conserved genomic regions ('bricks') exist across vertebrates, primarily in noncoding DNA.
  • Deep conservation suggests bricks are linked to gene regulatory elements.
  • Bricks serve as a proxy for the functional noncoding genome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the distribution and evolutionary dynamics of bricks in the human genome.
  • Determine the relationship between brick conservation and gene function.
  • Analyze brick variation in the human lineage and its evolutionary implications.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of vertebrate genomes to identify conserved bricks.
  • Statistical analysis of brick overrepresentation in gene promoter regions.
  • Examination of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data and selection signatures in human and primate lineages.

Main Results:

  • Bricks are significantly overrepresented in promoters of transcription factors and developmental genes.
  • High conservation correlates with increased brick overrepresentation.
  • Bricks exhibit strong evolutionary constraint in primates, with rapid divergence in the human lineage.
  • Human brick variation shows reduced signatures of negative selection, suggesting adaptive evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Bricks are key components of the vertebrate gene regulatory landscape.
  • Rapid evolution of bricks in humans may drive species-specific adaptations.
  • The human genome displays plasticity in gene regulation, with advantageous mutations in regulatory elements facilitating functional diversification.