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Updated: May 31, 2026
07:09
A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq
Published on: May 28, 2021
Protein evolution in cell and tissue development: going beyond sequence and transcriptional analysis.
Daniel J Dickinson1, William I Weis, W James Nelson
1Program in Cancer Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Developmental Cell
|July 19, 2011
Summary
Evolutionary developmental biology requires more than just gene sequence analysis. Biochemical and cell biology approaches are crucial because conserved proteins can exhibit varied functions, impacting animal evolution.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Comparative genomics
- Molecular evolution
Background:
- Animal evolution studies often prioritize sequence and transcriptional analysis.
- This focus assumes developmental evolution is primarily driven by gene expression changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for the integration of biochemical and cell biological methods in evolutionary studies.
- To highlight the limitations of solely focusing on gene sequences and expression.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on animal evolution.
- Comparative analysis of protein function across species.
Main Results:
- Sequence-conserved proteins can possess distinct biochemical properties.
- These conserved proteins may exhibit different cellular and developmental roles.
- Such variations can significantly influence evolutionary trajectories.
Conclusions:
- Biochemical and cell biological perspectives are essential for a comprehensive understanding of animal evolution.
- Relying solely on sequence and transcriptional data provides an incomplete picture of developmental evolution.
Related Concept Videos
02:05Gene 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...
In contrast, regions which code...
02:05Gene 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...
In contrast, regions which code...
02:54Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
01:10Transcription
Overview
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
01:17Transcription
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in correctly synthesizing messenger RNA (mRNA). Transcriptional regulation is responsible for the differentiation of different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
02:31Synteny 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...
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...