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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: Nov 19, 2025

In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity

In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity

Published on: March 25, 2020

De novo proteins from random sequences through in vitro evolution.

Cher Ling Tong¹, Kun-Hwa Lee¹, Burckhard Seelig¹

¹Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.

Current Opinion in Structural Biology

|January 31, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers explore how early functional proteins could have emerged from random polypeptides using in vitro selection and molecular evolution. This review examines methods for creating and studying synthetic proteins to understand early life's protein origins.

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Last Updated: Nov 19, 2025

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Protein WISDOM: A Workbench for In silico De novo Design of BioMolecules

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Published on: July 25, 2013

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Evolutionary Biology
Origin of Life Studies

Background:

Natural proteins evolved over billions of years from simpler precursors.
The exact process of early protein emergence from random polypeptides remains unclear but is of significant scientific interest.

Purpose of the Study:

To review research on plausible scenarios for the emergence of early functional proteins.
To investigate how in vitro selection and molecular evolution methods have been used to study this process.

Main Methods:

Analysis of properties and structures of unevolved random polypeptides.
Isolation of de novo proteins with specific functions from synthetic randomized sequence libraries.
Generation of novel proteins via combined evolution and rational design.

Main Results:

Studies range from analyzing random polypeptides to creating functional de novo proteins.
Synthetic biology approaches are actively probing the origins of protein function.
Researchers are combining evolutionary methods with rational design to engineer novel proteins.

Conclusions:

In vitro selection and molecular evolution offer valuable tools for understanding early protein emergence.
Significant progress has been made in creating and studying synthetic proteins.
Further research is essential to fully elucidate the mechanisms behind the origin of protein-dominated life.