Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

8.2K
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...
8.2K
Gene Families01:57

Gene Families

10.2K
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...
10.2K
Gene Families01:57

Gene Families

3.9K
3.9K
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

3.9K
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...
3.9K
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

34.1K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
34.1K
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

7.1K
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...
7.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A novel effect of parylene-based surface coating on HepG2 cell function.

Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications·2014
Same author

Histone modifications associated with cancer cell migration and invasion.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2014
Same author

Arthritis and bacteremia due to Leclercia adecarboxylata.

Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)·2014
Same author

An on-chip small intestine-liver model for pharmacokinetic studies.

Journal of laboratory automation·2014
Same author

Coordinated expression of H3K9 histone methyltransferases during tooth development in mice.

Histochemistry and cell biology·2014
Same author

Visualization of epigenetic modifications in preimplantation embryos.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2014

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
08:02

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Published on: May 7, 2016

10.4K

Evolutionary analysis of two complement C4 genes: Ancient duplication and conservation during jawed vertebrate

Mayumi I Nonaka1, Tokio Terado2, Hiroshi Kimura2

  • 1Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Developmental and Comparative Immunology
|November 15, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Complement C4 proteins, crucial for immune responses, exist in two forms: one binding carbohydrates and another binding proteins. This study traces their evolutionary history in jawed vertebrates, revealing ancient gene duplication and lineage divergence.

Keywords:
Classical pathwayComplement C4EvolutionGene duplicationIsotypeShark

More Related Videos

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

14.7K
A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq
07:09

A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq

Published on: May 28, 2021

10.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
08:02

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Published on: May 7, 2016

10.4K
Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

14.7K
A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq
07:09

A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq

Published on: May 28, 2021

10.7K

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The complement C4 protein is essential for the classical pathway of the complement system.
  • C4 contains a thioester bond, typically cleaved by a histidine residue for covalent binding to target cells.
  • Some species have an alternative C4 isotype with an aspartic acid residue, which binds to proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary history and distribution of C4 isotypes in jawed vertebrates.
  • To understand the phylogenetic relationships and gene duplication events of C4.
  • To explore the functional implications of different C4 isotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of C4 genes across various vertebrate species.
  • Comparative genomics to identify C4 isotypes and their genomic locations.
  • Analysis of gene duplication events and evolutionary conservation.

Main Results:

  • Two C4 isotypes (histidine- and aspartic acid-dependent) are present in diverse jawed vertebrates, including sharks, birds, and reptiles.
  • Phylogenetic analysis indicates C4 gene duplication occurred early in jawed vertebrate evolution.
  • A distinct D-lineage of C4 genes in bony fish (excluding mammals) evolved conservatively outside the MHC region; mammals lost this lineage but regenerated D-type C4 through recent duplications.

Conclusions:

  • The presence of dual C4 molecules with distinct substrate specificities likely contributed to the development of the antibody-dependent classical complement pathway.
  • Evolutionary dynamics of C4 genes, including duplication and loss, have shaped the vertebrate immune system.
  • Understanding C4 evolution provides insights into the diversification of immune mechanisms across vertebrates.