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The emergence and diversification of the DUX gene family across placental mammals.

The DUX gene family encodes transcription factors with paired homeodomains. It has critical roles in embryogenesis and disease, including facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and cancer. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the DUX gene family-DUXA, DUXB (including DUXBL), and DUXC (including DUX4 and Dux)-across placental mammals, highlighting their structural diversity within macrosatellite repeat contexts. Using long-read genomes, we explore gene distribution, array patterns, and phylogenetic relationships in various vertebrate species. Our analysis reveals that DUXA and DUXB are highly conserved, with intriguing variations such as intronless forms likely arising from ancestral retrotransposition events. While DUXBL is inconsistently retained across clades, its locus-which in non-placental mammals harbors the ancestral single-homeodomain sDUX gene-served as an evolutionary hub for diversification, giving rise to DUXA, DUXB and DUXC, as well as macrosatellite tandem array structures. Sequence conservation and syntenic analyses demonstrate array adaptability, exemplified by higher-order repeats in orangutans and disrupted patterns of concerted evolution in elephants. Furthermore, analysis of human pseudo-DUX4 arrays indicates their potential role in disease mechanisms, including as possible contributors to rare cases of FSHD, warranting further investigation. This study thus provides insights into DUX-family gene evolution, offering a foundation for future research into developmental roles and disease implications.

Animals↗

Short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes in HLA: an integrated 50-kb STR/linkage disequilibrium/gene map between the RING3 and HLA-B genes and identification of STR haplotype diversification in the class III region.

We present a dense STR/linkage disequilibrium(LD)/gene map between the RING3 and HLA-B loci, reference allelic sizes on the most prevalent HLA haplotypes and their allelic frequencies in pedigree founders. This resource will facilitate LD, evolution and gene mapping studies, including comparisons of HLA and STR haplotypes and identification of HLA recombinants. The map was constructed by testing novel and previously reported STRs using a panel of 885 individuals in 211 families and 60 DNA samples from cell lines and bone marrow donors homozygous in the HLA-A, -B and -DR loci selected from over 15 000 entries into the registry of Swedish bone marrow donors. We have also analysed the variability of STR alleles/haplotypes on the most prevalent HLA haplotypes to identify STRs useful for fine mapping of disease genes in the region previously implicated in susceptibility to many disorders. The analysis of 40 HLA-A*01, B*0801, DRB1*03011, DQB1*0201 haplotypes in homozygous donors showed a surprising stability in 23 STRs between the class II recombination hot spot and HLA-B, with the average of 1.9% (16/838) variant alleles. However, 40% variant alleles were found at the D6S2670 locus in intron 19 of the tenascin-X gene both in the families and homozygous donors. The nucleotide sequence analysis of this STR showed a complex polymorphism consisting of tetra- (CTTT)(8-18) and penta-nucleotide (CTTTT)(1-2) repeats, separated by an intervening non-polymorphic sequence of 42 bp. The HLA-A1, B*0801, DRB1*03011, DQB1*0201 haplotypes had five (CTTT)(14-18)/(CTTTT)(2) variants with a predominant (CTTT)(16) allele, implicating the tetranucleotide component as the source of this ancestral haplotype diversification, which may be due to the location of D6S2670 in the region of the highest GC content in the human MHC.

Centromere↗

Population structure and strong divergent selection shape phenotypic diversification in maize landraces.

To conserve the long-term selection potential of maize, it is necessary to investigate past and present evolutionary processes that have shaped quantitative trait variation. Understanding the dynamics of quantitative trait evolution is crucial to future crop breeding. We characterized population differentiation of maize landraces from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico for quantitative traits and molecular markers. Qst values were much higher than Fst values obtained for molecular markers. While low values of Fst (0.011 within-village and 0.003 among-villages) suggest that considerable gene flow occurred among the studied populations, high levels of population differentiation for quantitative traits were observed (ie an among-village Qst value of 0.535 for kernel weight). Our results suggest that although quantitative traits appear to be under strong divergent selection, a considerable amount of gene flow occurs among populations. Furthermore, we characterized nonproportional changes in the G matrix structure both within and among villages that are consequences of farmer selection. As a consequence of these differences in the G matrix structure, the response to multivariate selection will be different from one population to another. Large changes in the G matrix structure could indicate that farmers select for genes of major and pleiotropic effect. Farmers' decision and selection strategies have a great impact on phenotypic diversification in maize landraces.

Agriculture↗

Immunoglobulin diversification in B cell malignancies: internal splicing of heavy chain variable region as a by-product of somatic hypermutation.

In this study we describe alternative splicing of somatically mutated immunoglobulin (Ig) variable heavy chain (V(H)) genes in three distinct primary B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL). In two V4-34 expressing lymphomas, ie a post-germinal center type B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and a follicular lymphoma (FL), internally spliced V(H) gene transcripts were found in which a sequence stretch of 116 bp between the framework region 1 (FR1) and complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2) had been deleted. We provide evidence that for this alternative IgV(H) mRNA processing a known cryptic 5' splice donor site and a previously unidentified cryptic 3' splice acceptor site were used. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the cryptic 3' splice acceptor site had been activated by specific somatic point mutations. The B-CLL further harbored a triplication of the rearranged JH3 gene segment including the putative N region and part of the JH3-JH4 intron sequence. This triplication probably took place via a repeated mechanism of DNA double strand break followed by homologous recombination, a mechanism which was recently proposed also involved in the somatic hypermutation process and is compatible with the post-germinal center derivation of this B-CLL. Finally, in a V4-34 expressing diffuse large B cell lymphoma, we observed alternative IgV(H) mRNA processing using the same cryptic 5' splice donor site and the normal splice acceptor site of the CH1-C(mu) exon. The significance of alternative IgV(H) processing in B cell malignancies and as a potential mechanism of somatic Ig diversification is discussed.

Aged↗

Snake venom disintegrins: novel dimeric disintegrins and structural diversification by disulphide bond engineering.

We report the isolation and amino acid sequences of six novel dimeric disintegrins from the venoms of Vipera lebetina obtusa (VLO), V. berus (VB), V. ammodytes (VA), Echis ocellatus (EO) and Echis multisquamatus (EMS). Disintegrins VLO4, VB7, VA6 and EO4 displayed the RGD motif and inhibited the adhesion of K562 cells, expressing the integrin alpha5beta1 to immobilized fibronectin. A second group of dimeric disintegrins (VLO5 and EO5) had MLD and VGD motifs in their subunits and blocked the adhesion of the alpha4beta1 integrin to vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 with high selectivity. On the other hand, disintegrin EMS11 inhibited both alpha5beta1 and alpha4beta1 integrins with almost the same degree of specificity. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of the dimeric disintegrins with those of other disintegrins by multiple-sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, in conjunction with current biochemical and genetic data, supports the view that the different disintegrin subfamilies evolved from a common ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-like) scaffold and that structural diversification occurred through disulphide bond engineering.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Molecular phylogeny and ecological diversification in a clade of New World songbirds (genus Vireo).

We constructed a molecular phylogeny for a clade of eye-ringed vireos (Vireo flavifrons and the V. solitarius complex) to examine existing hypotheses of speciation and ecological diversification. Complete sequences of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene were obtained from 47 individuals of this group plus four vireonid outgroups. Mean levels of sequence divergence in the clade varied from 0.29% to 5.7%. Differences were greatest between V. flavifrons and four taxa of 'V. solitarius'. The latter separated into three taxonomic, geographical and ecological groups: V. plumbeus plumbeus, V. cassinii cassinii, and V. solitarius solitarius plus V. solitarius alticola. These differed by an average of 2.6-3.2%. Populations within each group revealed low levels of sequence variation (x = 0.20%) and little geographical structuring. The mtDNA data generally corroborate results from allozymes. V. plumbeus shows a loss of yellow-green carotenoid pigmentation from the ancestral condition. The occupancy of relatively dry habitats by this species and V. cassinii represents a derived ecological shift from more-humid environments occupied by other species of vireonids. Ecological divergence in this clade occurred in allopatry and is associated with generic-level stability in morphometrics and foraging styles. Migratory behaviour and seasonal habitat shifts apparently evolved multiple times in vireos breeding in temperate environments. Present geographical and ecological distributions, and low levels of intrataxon genetic divergence, are hypothesized to be the result of postglacial regionalization of climate-plant associations and rapid northward expansion of breeding ranges.

Animals↗

Diversification of Drosophila chloride channel gene by multiple posttranscriptional mRNA modifications.

We have identified and analyzed a Drosophila melanogaster gene that encodes a chloride channel subunit (DrosGluCl-alpha) previously shown to function as a glutamate-gated chloride channel in an in vitro expression system. Sequence analysis of several cDNAs corresponding to the gene revealed sequence diversity in their open reading frames at seven specific sites. Site-specific A-to-G variations between cDNA and genomic sequences, consistent with RNA editing, were detected at five nucleotide positions. In addition, sequence variations among cDNA clones consistent with alternative splicing of mRNA were found at two different sites. In the 5' region, two small adjacent exons, containing similar but distinct modular sequences, are alternatively incorporated into the mature mRNA. In the 3' region, alternative splicing generates a variant encoding a protein with four additional amino acids just upstream of the fourth transmembrane domain. Combinations of RNA editing and alternative splicing can lead to extensive diversification of transcripts. These results give the first example of RNA editing in neurotransmitter-gated chloride channel genes or of alternative splicing in a glutamate-gated chloride channel gene of Drosophila.

Alternative Splicing↗

Development and evolution of the mammalian limb: adaptive diversification of nails, hooves, and claws.

Paleontological evidence indicates that the evolutionary diversification of mammals early in the Cenozoic era was characterized by an adaptive radiation of distal limb structures. Likewise, neontological data show that morphological variation in distal limb integumentary appendages (e.g., nails, hooves, and claws) can be observed not only among distantly related mammalian taxa but also among closely related species within the same clade. Comparative analysis of nail, claw, and hoof morphogenesis reveals relatively subtle differences in mesenchymal and epithelial patterning underlying these adult differences in distal limb appendage morphology. Furthermore, studies of regulatory gene expression during vertebrate claw development demonstrate that many of the signaling molecules involved in patterning ectodermal derivatives such as teeth, hair, and feathers are also involved in organizing mammalian distal limb appendages. For example, Bmp4 signaling plays an important role during the recruitment of mesenchymal cells into the condensations forming the terminal phalanges, whereas Msx2 affects the length of nails and claws by suppressing proliferation of germinal epidermal cells. Evolutionary changes in the form of distal integumentary appendages may therefore result from changes in gene expression during formation of mesenchymal condensations (Bmp4, posterior Hox genes), induction of the claw fold and germinal matrix (shh), and/or proliferation of epidermal cells in the claw matrix (Msx1, Msx2). The prevalence of convergences and parallelisms in nail and claw structure among mammals underscores the existence of multiple morphogenetic pathways for evolutionary change in distal limb appendages.

Animals↗

Diversification of CYCLOIDEA-like TCP genes in the basal eudicot families Fumariaceae and Papaveraceae s.str.

CYCLOIDEA-like genes belong to the TCP family of transcriptional regulators and have been shown to control different aspects of shoot development in various angiosperm lineages, including flower monosymmetry in asterids and axillary meristem growth in monocots. Genes related to the CYC gene from ANTIRRHINUM show independent duplications in both asterids and rosids. However, it remains unclear to what extent this affected the evolution of flower symmetry and shoot branching in these and other eudicot lineages. Here, we show that CYC-like genes have also undergone duplications in two related Ranunculales families, Fumariaceae and Papaveraceae s.str. These families exhibit morphological diversity in flower symmetry and inflorescence architecture that is potentially related to functions of CYC-like genes. We present sequences of 14 CYC-related genes covering 9 genera. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the presence of three clades of CYC-like genes. Shared motifs in the region between the TCP and R domains of CYC-like genes between Fumariaceae, Papaveraceae s.str., and AQUILEGIA (Ranunculaceae) indicate that the observed duplications originated from a single CYC gene present in all Ranunculales. RT-PCR expression data suggest that gene duplication and diversification in Fumariaceae and Papaveraceae s.str. was accompanied by divergence in expression patterns.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phylogeny and diversification of the largest avian radiation.

The order Passeriformes ("perching birds") comprises extant species diversity comparable to that of living mammals. For over a decade, a single phylogenetic hypothesis based on DNA-DNA hybridization has provided the primary framework for numerous comparative analyses of passerine ecological and behavioral evolution and for tests of the causal factors accounting for rapid radiations within the group. We report here a strongly supported phylogenetic tree based on two single-copy nuclear gene sequences for the most complete sampling of passerine families to date. This tree is incongruent with that derived from DNA-DNA hybridization, with half of the nodes from the latter in conflict and over a third of the conflicts significant as assessed under maximum likelihood. Our historical framework suggests multiple waves of passerine dispersal from Australasia into Eurasia, Africa, and the New World, commencing as early as the Eocene, essentially reversing the classical scenario of oscine biogeography. The revised history implied by these data will require reassessment of comparative analyses of passerine diversification and adaptation.

Animals↗

The evolutionary diversification of cyanobacteria: molecular-phylogenetic and paleontological perspectives.

Cyanobacteria have played a significant role in Earth history as primary producers and the ultimate source of atmospheric oxygen. To date, however, how and when the group diversified has remained unclear. Here, we combine molecular phylogenetic and paleontological studies to elucidate the pattern and timing of early cyanobacterial diversification. 16S rRNA, rbcL, and hetR genes were sequenced from 20 cyanobacterial strains distributed among 16 genera, with particular care taken to represent the known diversity of filamentous taxa. Unlike most other bacteria, some filamentous cyanobacteria evolved a degree of cell differentiation, producing both specialized cells for nitrogen fixation (heterocysts) and resting cells able to endure environmental stress (akinetes). Phylogenetic analyses support the hypothesis that cyanobacteria capable of cell differentiation are monophyletic, and the geological record provides both upper and lower bounds on the origin of this clade. Fossil akinetes have been identified in 1,650- to 1,400-mega-annum (Ma) cherts from Siberia, China, and Australia, and what may be the earliest known akinetes are preserved in approximately 2,100-Ma chert from West Africa. Geochemical evidence suggests that oxygen first reached levels that would compromise nitrogen fixation (and hence select for heterocyst differentiation) 2,450-2,320 Ma. Integrating phylogenetic analyses and geological data, we suggest that the clade of cyanobacteria marked by cell differentiation diverged once between 2,450 and 2,100 Ma, providing an internal bacterial calibration point for studies of molecular evolution in early organisms.

Base Sequence↗

Positive selection driving diversification in plant secondary metabolism.

In Arabidopsis thaliana and related plants, glucosinolates are a major component in the blend of secondary metabolites and contribute to resistance against herbivorous insects. Methylthioalkylmalate synthases (MAM) encoded at the MAM gene cluster control an early step in the biosynthesis of glucosinolates and, therefore, are central to the diversification of glucosinolate metabolism. We sequenced bacterial artificial chromosomes containing the MAM cluster from several Arabidopsis relatives, conducted enzyme assays with heterologously expressed MAM genes, and analyzed MAM nucleotide variation patterns. Our results show that gene duplication, neofunctionalization, and positive selection provide the mechanism for biochemical adaptation in plant defense. These processes occur repeatedly in the history of the MAM gene family, indicating their fundamental importance for the evolution of plant metabolic diversity both within and among species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The Sahara as a vicariant agent, and the role of Miocene climatic events, in the diversification of the mammalian order Macroscelidea (elephant shrews).

Although the Sahara is a major geographical feature of the African continent, its role in the diversification of animal species is not well understood. We present here a molecular phylogeny for members of the endemic African mammalian order Macroscelidea (elephant shrews) with molecular-clock calculations; this molecular phylogeny provides convincing evidence that the genus Elephantulus is diphyletic. Elephantulus rozeti, the only elephant shrew species that resides north of the Sahara, is the sister group of a species from a different genus (Petrodromus tetradactylus), which resides just south of the Sahara. The split between these taxa coincided with major Miocene climatic events, which triggered the cooling and aridification of midlatitude continental regions, and a shift in the Sahara from a tropical to an arid environment. Thus, the North African distribution of E. rozeti is not the result of dispersion from an eastern species of the genus, but instead the result of a vicariant event involving the formation of the Sahara. The splitting events involved with most Elephantulus species in our analysis appear to coincide with these climatic events. This coincidence suggests that the environmental consequences associated with this period played an important role in the radiation of this order of mammals. The strongly supported phylogeny provides compelling evidence for a complex history of mosaic evolution, including pronounced bradytelic morphological evolution in some lineages, accelerated morphological evolution in others, and a remarkably slow rate of evolution of the male reproductive structure.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Rapid plant diversification: planning for an evolutionary future.

Systematic conservation planning is a branch of conservation biology that seeks to identify spatially explicit options for the preservation of biodiversity. Alternative systems of conservation areas are predictions about effective ways of promoting the persistence of biodiversity; therefore, they should consider not only biodiversity pattern but also the ecological and evolutionary processes that maintain and generate species. Most research and application, however, has focused on pattern representation only. This paper outlines the development of a conservation system designed to preserve biodiversity pattern and process in the context of a rapidly changing environment. The study area is the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), a biodiversity hotspot of global significance, located in southwestern Africa. This region has experienced rapid (post-Pliocene) ecological diversification of many plant lineages; there are numerous genera with large clusters of closely related species (flocks) that have subdivided habitats at a very fine scale. The challenge is to design conservation systems that will preserve both the pattern of large numbers of species and various natural processes, including the potential for lineage turnover. We outline an approach for designing a system of conservation areas to incorporate the spatial components of the evolutionary processes that maintain and generate biodiversity in the CFR. We discuss the difficulty of assessing the requirements for pattern versus process representation in the face of ongoing threats to biodiversity, the difficulty of testing the predictions of alternative conservation systems, and the widespread need in conservation planning to incorporate and set targets for the spatial components (or surrogates) of processes.

Biological Evolution↗

Directional selection is the primary cause of phenotypic diversification.

Selection is widely accepted as the principal force shaping phenotypic variation within populations. Its importance in speciation and macroevolution has been questioned, however, because phenotypic differences between species or higher taxa sometimes appear to be nonadaptive. Here, we use the quantitative trait locus (QTL) sign test to evaluate the importance of directional selection in phenotypic divergence. If a trait has a history of directional selection, QTL effects should be mostly in the same direction; otherwise QTLs with antagonistic effects should be common. Analysis of QTL effects for 572 traits from 86 studies revealed significantly fewer antagonistic QTLs than expected under neutrality, a result that validates Darwin's claim that phenotypic diversification is caused mainly by selection. Moreover, interspecific trait differences were more strongly or consistently selected than intraspecific differences, strengthening a growing consensus among students of speciation that directional selection is the primary cause of speciation. Contrary to studies of selection in contemporary populations, life history traits appear to be selected more strongly than morphological traits, but traits related to the timing of development are weakly selected relative to most other traits.

Animals↗

RAG-dependent peripheral T cell receptor diversification in CD8+ T lymphocytes.

Rearrangement of T cell receptor (TCR) genes is driven by transient expression of V(D)J recombination-activating genes (RAGs) during lymphocyte development. Immunological dogma holds that T cells irreversibly terminate RAG expression before exiting the thymus, and that all of the progeny arising from mature T cells express the parental TCRs. When single pancreatic islet-derived, NRP-A7 peptide-reactive CD8(+) T cells from nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice were repeatedly stimulated with peptide-pulsed dendritic cells, daughter T cells reexpressed RAGs, lost their ability to bind to NRP-A7K(d) tetramers, ceased to transcribe tetramer-specific TCR genes, and, instead, expressed a vast array of other TCR rearrangements. Pancreatic lymph node (PLN) CD8(+) T cells from animals expressing a transgenic NRP-A7-reactive TCR transcribed and translated RAGs in vivo and displayed endogenous TCRs on their surface. RAG reexpression also occurred in the PLN CD8(+) T cells of wild-type NOD mice and could be induced in the peripheral CD8(+) T cells of nondiabetes-prone TCR-transgenic B10.H2(g7) mice by stimulation with peptide-pulsed dendritic cells. In contrast, reexpression of RAGs could not be induced in the CD8(+) T cells of B6 mice expressing an ovalbumin-specific, K(b)-restricted TCR, or in the CD8(+) T cells of NOD mice expressing a lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific, D(b)-restricted TCR. Extra-thymic reexpression of the V(D)J recombination machinery in certain CD8(+) T cell subpopulations, therefore, enables further diversification of the peripheral T cell repertoire.

Animals↗

Recent duplication and germ-line diversification of rat immunoglobulin kappa chain gene joining segments.

Sequence determination of the joining segment gene (J) cluster in the kappa chain (J kappa) in the embryonic context demonstrates that rat genome contains seven J kappa gene segments that expanded from an ancestral cluster of five J kappa genes. The rat J segments are separated by about 300 base pairs (bp) and are flanked 5' by the presumed variable region (V)/J recombination signal sequence and 3' by the RNA splicing signal. Two of the J gene segments designated J2A and J2B and their 5'-flanking spacer DNA bear striking homology to J2 and its 5'-flanking spacer. Thus, the unit of duplication was the entire J kappa coding region and 5' noncoding spacer (345 bp). The duplication probably occurred as two separate unequal crossing-over (UXO) events. The first UXO event can be confined to recombination within an identical stretch (14 bp long) located at the 3' ends of the coding regions of J1 and J2. The second event could involve a longer segment (372 bp) of tight homology generated by the first UXO event, thus increasing the probability of repeated expansion of the same DNA segment. The sequence homology among the rat duplicated segments (98-99%) is larger than the homology between the corresponding rat and mouse segments (89%), showing that the rat J kappa gene expansion must have occurred after rat and mouse divergence 10 X 10(6) yr ago. We estimate that the first and second UXO events occurred 2 X 10(6) and 1 X 10(6) yr ago, respectively. J3 of rat and mouse share the same mutation (G leads to C) in the RNA splicing signal that presumably inactivates J3. This mutation preceded divergence of the two species. A mutation in the first nucleotide of codon 96 has occurred in both duplicated segments, the only position along 345 bp where J2, J2A, and J2B differ from each other. This results in three different amino acids at position 96 not present in any other J kappa. These mutations are physiologically significant because they diversify the third complementarity-determining region (CDR3) and, thus, may reflect selective pressure to increase antibody diversity. The germ-line diversification of CDR3 was exercised within the last 1-2 X 10(6) yr.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Allelic diversification at the class II DQB locus of the mammalian major histocompatibility complex.

The allelic diversity at HLA class II loci either arose after the divergence of hominoid lineages or, alternatively, the polymorphism was present before speciation and has been maintained by selection. Here, we report the use of oligonucleotide primers to amplify, by the polymerase chain reaction, and sequence the polymorphic second exon of the DQB locus from 11 species, spanning more than 40 million years of mammalian evolution. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that of the four human DQB allelic types (DQB1-B4), three (DQB1-3) were found in chimpanzee and gorilla and two (DQB3 and -4) were identified in the rhesus monkey, suggesting that some of these types are 5-20 million years old. The ratio of replacement to silent substitutions was calculated between members of the same allelic type from different species. These results suggest that the evolution of the DQB3 allelic type is more constrained than that of the DQB1 allelic type; both evolve more slowly than the DXB locus, a linked but presumably nonexpressed locus. Further, the clustering of allelic subtypes by species in the phylogenetic tree indicates that allelic diversification has occurred subsequent to the divergence of hominoids. Finally, some haplotype combinations of DQA and DQB alleles are common to several hominoid species and may have been maintained for at least 5 million years.

Alleles↗