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Exon Recombination

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 16, 2026

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis

Published on: July 12, 2022

Intron Length Coevolution across Mammalian Genomes.

Peter A Keane¹, Cathal Seoighe

¹School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.

Molecular Biology and Evolution

|August 24, 2016

Summary

Intron length evolution is linked between coordinately expressed genes, particularly those in protein complexes and cell cycle pathways. This coevolution suggests sensitivity to transcriptional timing changes.

Keywords:

coevolution coexpression.introns transcription

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A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genomics
Molecular biology

Background:

Introns, non-coding DNA sequences, play roles in gene regulation and alternative splicing.
Intron length can significantly impact gene transcription timing.
Conserved intron lengths are observed in developmentally regulated genes.

Purpose of the Study:

To test if evolutionary changes in intron length are correlated between coordinately expressed genes.
To investigate intron length coevolution in mammalian genomes.

Main Methods:

Analysis of intron length coevolution in gene alignments from nine eutherian mammals.
Comparison of coevolution patterns between coexpressed genes/protein complexes and randomly sampled genes.

Main Results:

Genes in the same protein complex or coexpressed genes showed significantly higher intron length coevolution than random gene sets.
Protein complexes and gene clusters involved in the cell cycle exhibited the strongest evidence of intron length coevolution.
Identified a novel aspect of gene coevolution related to transcriptional dynamics.

Conclusions:

Coordinated gene expression, especially in cell cycle processes, is associated with conserved intron length evolution.
Intron length coevolution can serve as an indicator for genes and pathways sensitive to transcriptional timing.
Reveals a new mechanism influencing gene regulation and evolution.