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:

24-03-2025

Associated Glosses (111 results)

GlossID	Species	Symbol	Gene Loss Mechanism	Loss Type	Lineage Specific	Citation
GL_N7YMIB	Chlorocebus sabaeus	SNTN	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_NBGYEJ	Trichechus manatus	KLK8	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_NKRORO	Pteropus alecto	SLC2A9	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_NNSUXK	Tursiops truncatus	MX1	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_NP4PED	Canis lupus familiaris	PROZ	Other	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_NQKE6H	Tursiops truncatus	MMP12	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_O16RPH	Orcinus orca	DSC1	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_OWDBY2	Pteropus vampyrus	RHBG	Exon(s) deletion	Full	No	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_P3JG9P	Tursiops truncatus	TGM5	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1
GL_PCBEKY	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	DSG4	LOF (frameshift, premature stop, ss)	Full	Cetacea	10.1038/s41467-018-03667-1