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Related Concept Videos

Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

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.
Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
Gene Families01:57

Gene Families

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...
Combinatorial Gene Control02:33

Combinatorial Gene Control

Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...

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Single-cell Gene Expression Using Multiplex RT-qPCR to Characterize Heterogeneity of Rare Lymphoid Populations
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Published on: January 19, 2017

Duplicate gene enrichment and expression pattern diversification in multicellularity.

Timothy Padawer1, Ralph E Leighty, Degeng Wang

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, BSF218, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.

Nucleic Acids Research
|May 31, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Multicellular organisms have more duplicate genes (paralogs) that diversify expression, driving genomic innovation and the evolution of multicellularity. This study quantifies paralog enrichment and expression diversification as key genomic underpinnings.

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Published on: October 25, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Gene duplication, leading to paralogs, is proposed to enhance functional innovation in multicellular organisms compared to unicellular ones.
  • Understanding the genomic basis of multicellularity requires quantitative analysis of paralog enrichment and expression diversification.
  • Previous studies suggest a link between gene duplication and organismal complexity, but mechanistic insights are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively examine the relationship between paralog enrichment, expression pattern diversification, and the evolution of multicellularity.
  • To compare paralog abundance in specific cells of multicellular organisms with unicellular proteomes and whole multicellular proteomes.
  • To elucidate the genomic and evolutionary underpinnings of multicellularity through the lens of gene duplication and expression.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of paralog abundance using power-law distributions (P(k)) in the whole proteomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (unicellular) and Caenorhabditis elegans (multicellular).
  • Examination of paralog count (K) distributions and the derived constant alpha (α) as a measure of paralog abundance in specific C. elegans cells.
  • Correlation analysis between gene expression fluctuation across different cells/tissues and paralog count, validated in C. elegans and human data.

Main Results:

  • Paralog abundance, indicated by a lower alpha (α) value, is significantly enriched in the whole proteome of the multicellular C. elegans (1.74) compared to the unicellular S. cerevisiae (2.34).
  • While the power-law relationship holds for specific C. elegans cells, their alpha (α) values are higher and comparable to S. cerevisiae, suggesting lower paralog abundance within specialized cells.
  • Gene expression fluctuation across different cells positively correlates with paralog count, a pattern observed in both C. elegans and human tissues, indicating diversifying expression roles for paralogs.

Conclusions:

  • The enrichment of paralogs with diversifying expression patterns is quantitatively established as a genomic and evolutionary basis for multicellularity.
  • Specialized cells in multicellular organisms exhibit a lower abundance of paralogs compared to their whole proteomes, resembling unicellular organisms.
  • The interplay between gene duplication, expression diversification, and cellular specialization provides a mechanistic explanation for the genomic innovations enabling multicellular life.