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_DF6REB	Dasypus novemcinctus	ACP4	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_DSKEIE	Myotis lucifugus	GJA10	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_DUGUTQ	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	MMP12	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_DVYY5Y	Pteropus alecto	FAM3B	Exon(s) deletion	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_EFXW91	Tursiops truncatus	CASP14	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_ETCMNU	Mus musculus	MLNR	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_EZOGNH	Orcinus orca	GSDMA	Exon(s) deletion	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_FJRJVT	Nannospalax galili	CNGB3	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_FSOTXP	Manis pentadactyla	ACP4	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_FZNXEP	Pteropus vampyrus	SLC2A9	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1