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_VMJHKP	Orcinus orca	TGM5	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_VXVISO	Mus musculus	MLN	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_VZX6BK	Tursiops truncatus	MX2	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_W1BAR2	Pteropus alecto	SLC22A12	Exon(s) deletion	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_W4RSQG	Rhinopithecus roxellana	SNTN	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_W9RYLL	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	KRT82	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_W9YEP0	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	CASP14	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_WAZAQR	Myotis davidii	GJA10	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_WK0VRI	Pteropus vampyrus	APMAP	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_WL1Y89	Tursiops truncatus	DSG4	Exon(s) deletion	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1