两个与远距离相关的线虫之间保存的发育可塑性基因的功能差异
Sara Wighard1,2, Hanh Witte1, Ralf J Sommer3
1Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 9, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
Scientific reports
|August 6, 2025
概括
塑料系统中的基因功能分歧在线虫中进行了研究. 研究人员发现,祖先基因调节发育可塑性,其作用在进化过程中有所不同.
科学领域:
- 进化发育生物学 进化发育生物学
- 遗传学 遗传学是一种遗传学.
- 尼马生物学的生物学
背景情况:
- 基因在形式和功能上进化,但功能分歧,特别是在塑料系统中,人们对其了解甚少.
- 虫Allodiplogaster sudhausi和Pristionchus pacificus表现出受环境影响的口腔形状可塑性,非常适合研究基因分歧.
- 发育性可塑性允许生物在响应环境线索时改变表型,这是进化适应的一个关键因素.
研究的目的:
- 调查祖先基因如何调节发育可塑性,并在两个与远距离相关的线虫物种之间功能上分歧.
- 在A. sudhausi和P. pacificus中分析控制口腔表型的特定基因的保存和分歧.
- 阐明塑料系统中表型演化背后的遗传机制.
主要方法:
- 在Allodiplogaster sudhausi的口型基因中利用了CRISPR工程突变.
- 在A. sudhausi和P. pacificus的四个祖先基因中比较基因功能和保护.
- 研究了硫酸酶编码基因在口腔塑性中的下游作用.
主要成果:
- 两种物种之间在基因保存和影响口腔表型调节的分歧方面表现出明显的差异.
- 观察到基因损失对发育表型的保留 (类似干扰) 和分歧 (明显干扰) 影响.
- 确定了两个作为"开关基因"的祖先基因和两个对口腔形状可塑性的定量影响.
结论:
- 祖先基因在调节发育可塑性方面发挥着不同的作用,其功能在物种之间逐渐分歧.
- 硫酶编码基因的下游功能,在口腔塑性中发挥重要作用.
- 这项研究提供了第一个基于突变的功能分析,分析了高度分歧的物种之间的发育可塑性演变.
相关概念视频
02:51Multi-species Conserved Sequences
4.3K
Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
4.3K
02:32Exon Recombination
3.7K
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...
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...
3.7K
02:37Gene Duplication and Divergence
6.3K
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...
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...
6.3K
02:50Dosage Compensation
6.3K
In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
6.3K
02:02Cis-regulatory Sequences
10.1K
Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
10.1K
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
7.4K
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...
7.4K