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_G4MXSX	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	DSC1	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_GG1ZZL	Pteropus vampyrus	SLC22A12	Exon(s) deletion	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_GIA8EP	Orycteropus afer	ACP4	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_H5QD2Q	Pteropus vampyrus	FAM3B	Exon(s) deletion	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_HDV9ZD	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	ALOXE3	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_HFJ63Q	Tursiops truncatus	TAS1R3	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_HS1ARM	Tursiops truncatus	DSC1	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_IGXMKM	Nannospalax galili	ABCA4	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_IN3NUK	Rattus norvegicus	AOC3	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_IV6RLJ	Pteropus vampyrus	FABP6	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1