Gene Loss

Publication Details

Identifier: JB_UNTSYT

Curator: Gonçalo Themudo

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1

PMID: 29572503

Title:

A genomics approach reveals insights into the importance of gene losses for mammalian adaptations.

Abstract:

Identifying the genomic changes that underlie phenotypic adaptations is a key challenge in evolutionary biology and genomics. Loss of protein-coding genes is one type of genomic change with the potential to affect phenotypic evolution. Here, we develop a genomics approach to accurately detect gene losses and investigate their importance for adaptive evolution in mammals. We discover a number of gene losses that likely contributed to morphological, physiological, and metabolic adaptations in aquatic and flying mammals. These gene losses shed light on possible molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie these adaptive phenotypes. In addition, we show that gene loss events that occur as a consequence of relaxed selection following adaptation provide novel insights into species' biology. Our results suggest that gene loss is an evolutionary mechanism for adaptation that may be more widespread than previously anticipated. Hence, investigating gene losses has great potential to reveal the genomic basis underlying macroevolutionary changes.

Last update:

13-01-2025

Associated Glosses (111 results)

GlossID	Species	Symbol	Gene Loss Mechanism	Loss Type	Lineage Specific	Citation
GL_09TTNY	Canis lupus familiaris	SERPINA10	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_0DIELL	Physeter catodon	DSC1	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_0LIOCN	Cavia porcellus	MLNR	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_0MLL6N	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	GSDMA	Exon(s) deletion	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_0XZWFT	Pteropus vampyrus	FFAR3	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_16B5JT	Orcinus orca	CASP14	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_1L15VL	Physeter catodon	CASP14	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_1TSSFE	Rattus norvegicus	MLN	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_1TX4LE	Pteropus alecto	AQP6	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_3XASGY	Pteropus vampyrus	SLC22A6	Exon(s) deletion	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1