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PubMed2004

The role of Quaternary environmental change in plant macroevolution: the exception or the rule?

The Quaternary has been described as an important time for genetic diversification and speciation. This is based on the premise that Quaternary climatic conditions fostered the isolation of populations and, in some instances, allopatric speciation. However, the 'Quaternary Ice-Age speciation model' rests on two key assumptions: (i) that biotic responses to climate change during the Quaternary were significantly different from those of other periods in Earth's history; and (ii) that the mechanisms of isolation during the Quaternary were sufficient in time and space for genetic diversification to foster speciation. These assumptions are addressed by examining the plant fossil record for the Quaternary (in detail) and for the past 410 Myr, which encompasses previous intervals of icehouse Earth. Our examination of the Quaternary record indicates that floristic responses to climate changes during the past 1.8 Myr were complex and that a distinction has to be made between those plants that were able to withstand the extremes of glacial conditions and those that could not. Generation times are also important as are different growth forms (e.g. herbaceous annuals and arborescent perennials), resulting in different responses in terms of genetic divergence rates during isolation. Because of these variations in the duration of isolation of populations and genomic diversification rates, no canonical statement about the predominant floristic response to climatic changes during the Quaternary (i.e. elevated rates of speciation or extinction, or stasis) is currently possible. This is especially true because of a sampling bias in terms of the fossil record of tree species over that of species with non-arborescent growth forms. Nevertheless, based on the available information, it appears that the dominant response of arborescent species during the Quaternary was extinction rather than speciation or stasis. By contrast, our examination of the fossil record of vascular plants for the past 410 Myr indicates that speciation rates often increased during long intervals of icehouse Earth (spanning up to 50 Myr). Therefore, longer periods of icehouse Earth than those occurring during the Quaternary may have isolated plant populations for sufficiently long periods of time to foster genomic diversification and allopatric speciation. Our results highlight the need for more detailed study of the fossil record in terms of finer temporal and spatial resolution than is currently available to examine the significance of intervals of icehouse Earth. It is equally clear that additional and detailed molecular studies of extant populations of Quaternary species are required in order to determine the extent to which these 'relic' species have genomically diversified across their current populations.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1994

A cladistic analysis of the evolutionary relationships of the members of the tyrosinase gene family using sequence data.

Recently, DNA sequence data have been published on tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related proteins (TRPs) in a wide variety of vertebrates ranging from Rana to Homo. These proteins are in turn members of a larger family of binuclear copper-binding proteins, which all contain two highly conserved copper-binding domains. This gene family also includes tyrosinases from fungi and bacteria as well as arthropodan and molluscan hemocyanins. Parsimony-based alignment and tree construction algorithms (Malign, v1.85 and PAUP, 3.1.1) were used to analyze the diversification of both the evolutionarily conserved copper-binding domains in copper-binding proteins in general as well as the diversification of the vertebrate tyrosinase gene family more specifically. These analyses show that the diversification of the vertebrate tyrosinase gene family minimally predates the diversification of vertebrates. Vertebrate tyrosinases proper first diverged from an ancestral tyrosinase-related protein (TRP) that then subsequently diverged to form tyrosinase-related protein-1s (TRP-1s) and tyrosinase-related protein-2s (TRP-2s).

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

The hypervariable immunodominant NP418-426 epitope from the influenza A virus nucleoprotein is recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes with high functional avidity.

Recently it was shown that influenza A viruses can accumulate mutations in epitopes associated with escape from recognition by human virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). It is unclear what drives diversification of CTL epitopes and why certain epitopes are variable and others remain conserved. It has been shown that simian immunodeficiency virus-specific CTL that recognize their epitope with high functional avidity eliminate virus-infected cells efficiently and drive diversification of CTL epitopes. T-cell functional avidity is defined by the density of major histocompatibility complex class I peptide complexes required to activate specific CTL. We hypothesized that functional avidity of CTL contributes to epitope diversification and escape from CTL also for influenza viruses. To test this hypothesis, the functional avidity of polyclonal CTL populations specific for nine individual epitopes was determined. To this end, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HLA-A- and -B-genotyped individuals were stimulated in vitro with influenza virus-infected cells to allow expansion of virus-specific CTL, which were used to determine the functional avidity of CTL specific for nine individual epitopes in enzyme-linked immunospot assays. We found that the functional avidity for the respective epitopes varied widely. Furthermore, the functional avidity of CTL specific for the hypervariable NP(418-426) epitope was significantly higher than that of CTL recognizing other epitopes (P < 0.01). It was speculated that the high functional avidity of NP(418-426)-specific CTL was responsible for the diversification of this influenza A virus CTL epitope.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Polyploid incidence and evolution.

Changes in ploidy occurred early in the diversification of some animal and plant lineages and represent an ongoing phenomenon in others. While the prevalence of polyploid lineages indicates that this phenomenon is a common and successful evolutionary transition, whether polyploidization itself has a significant effect on patterns and rates of diversification remains an open question. Here we review evidence for the creative role of polyploidy in evolution. We present new estimates for the incidence of polyploidy in ferns and flowering plants based on a simple model describing transitions between odd and even base chromosome numbers. These new estimates indicate that ploidy changes may represent from 2 to 4% of speciation events in flowering plants and 7% in ferns. Speciation via polyploidy is likely to be one of the more predominant modes of sympatric speciation in plants, owing to its potentially broad-scale effects on gene regulation and developmental processes, effects that can produce immediate shifts in morphology, breeding system, and ecological tolerances. Theoretical models support the potential for increased adaptability in polyploid lineages. The evidence suggests that polyploidization can produce shifts in genetic systems and phenotypes that have the potential to result in increased evolutionary diversification, yet conclusive evidence that polyploidy has changed rates and patterns of diversification remains elusive.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Conservation of pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (PSG) N domains following independent expansions of the gene families in rodents and primates.

BACKGROUND: Rodent and primate pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (PSG) gene families have expanded independently from a common ancestor and are expressed virtually exclusively in placental trophoblasts. However, within each species, it is unknown whether multiple paralogs have been selected for diversification of function, or for increased dosage of monofunctional PSG. We analysed the evolution of the mouse PSG sequences, and compared them to rat, human and baboon PSGs to attempt to understand the evolution of this complex gene family. RESULTS: Phylogenetic tree analyses indicate that the primate N domains and the rodent N1 domains exhibit a higher degree of conservation than that observed in a comparison of the mouse N1 and N2 domains, or mouse N1 and N3 domains. Compared to human and baboon PSG N domain exons, mouse and rat PSG N domain exons have undergone less sequence homogenisation. The high non-synonymous substitution rates observed in the CFG face of the mouse N1 domain, within a context of overall conservation, suggests divergence of function of mouse PSGs. The rat PSG family appears to have undergone less expansion than the mouse, exhibits lower divergence rates and increased sequence homogenisation in the CFG face of the N1 domain. In contrast to most primate PSG N domains, rodent PSG N1 domains do not contain an RGD tri-peptide motif, but do contain RGD-like sequences, which are not conserved in rodent N2 and N3 domains. CONCLUSION: Relative conservation of primate N domains and rodent N1 domains suggests that, despite independent gene family expansions and structural diversification, mouse and human PSGs retain conserved functions. Human PSG gene family expansion and homogenisation suggests that evolution occurred in a concerted manner that maintains similar functions of PSGs, whilst increasing gene dosage of the family as a whole. In the mouse, gene family expansion, coupled with local diversification of the CFG face, suggests selection both for increased gene dosage and diversification of function. Partial conservation of RGD and RGD-like tri-peptides in primate and rodent N and N1 domains, respectively, supports a role for these motifs in PSG function.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed1996

The dynamics and limits of corporate growth in health care.

This paper analyzes the economic dynamics of five forms of organizational growth in health care: horizontal integration within a single geographic market; horizontal integration across different geographic markets; diversification among multiple products and types of service; diversification among multiple distribution channels; and vertical integration with suppliers. These principles are illustrated through brief case studies of three firms that have grown by way of internal expansion, mergers, acquisitions, and diversification: WellPoint Health Networks, UniHealth America, and Mullikin Medical Enterprises. The paper analyzes the potential limits of organizational growth in health care and explores the implications of integration and diversification for antitrust policy.

Antitrust Laws↗
PubMed2005

Size as a line of least evolutionary resistance: diet and adaptive morphological radiation in New World monkeys.

New World monkeys (NWM) display substantial variation (two orders of magnitude) in body size. Despite this, variation in skull size and associated shape show a conserved allometric relationship, both within and between genera. Maximum likelihood estimates of quantitative ancestral states were used to compare the direction of morphological differentiation with the phenotypic (p(max)) and genetic (g(max)) lines of least evolutionary resistance (LLER). Diversification in NWM skulls occurred principally along the LLER defined by size variation. We also obtained measures of morphological amount and pace of change using our skull data together with published genetic distances to test whether the LLER influenced the amount and pace of diversification. Moreover, data on an ecological factor (diet) was obtained from the literature and used to test the association of this niche-related measure with the morphological diversification. Two strategies were used to test the association of LLER with the morphological and dietary amount and pace of change, one focusing on both contemporary genera and maximum likelihood reconstructed ancestors and the other using only the 16 contemporary genera in a phylogenetic comparative analysis. Our results suggest that the LLER influenced the path, amount, and pace of morphological change. Evolution also occurred away from the LLER in some taxa but this occurred at a slower pace and resulted in a relatively low amount of morphological change. We found that longer branch lengths (time) are associated with larger differences in p(max) orientation. However, on a macroevolutionary scale there is no such trend. Diet is consistently associated with both absolute size differences and morphological integration patterns, and we suggest that this ecological factor might be driving adaptive radiation in NWM. Invasion of diet-based adaptive zones involves changes in absolute size, due to metabolic and foraging constraints, resulting in simple allometric skull diversification along the LLER. While it is clear that evolutionary change occurred along the LLER, it is not clear whether this macroevolutionary pattern results from a conservation of within-population genetic covariance patterns or long-term adaptation along a size dimension or whether both constraints and selection were inextricably involved.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2006

Evolutionary radiation of "stone plants" in the genus Argyroderma (Aizoaceae): unraveling the effects of landscape, habitat, and flowering time.

Recent phylogenetic evidence suggests that the extraordinary diversity of the Cape Floristic Kingdom in South Africa may be the result of widespread evolutionary radiation. Our understanding of the role of adaptive versus neutral processes in these radiations remains largely speculative. In this study we investigated factors involved in the diversification of Argyroderma, a genus within the most spectacular of the Cape radiations, that of the Ruschioid subfamily of the Aizoaceae. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms and a suite of morphological traits to elucidate patterns of differentiation within and between species of Argyroderma across the range of the genus. We then used a matrix correlation approach to assess the influence of landscape structure, edaphic gradients, and flowering phenology on phenotypic and neutral genetic divergence in the system. We found evidence for strong spatial genetic isolation at all taxonomic levels. In addition, genetic differentiation occurs along a temporal axis, between sympatric species with divergent flowering times. Morphological differentiation, which previous studies suggest is adaptive, occurs along a habitat axis, between populations occupying different edaphic microenvironments. Morphological differentiation is in turn significantly associated with flowering time shifts. Thus we propose that diversification within Argyroderma has occurred through a process of adaptive speciation in allopatry. Spatially isolated populations diverge phenotypically in response to divergent habitat selection, which in turn leads to the evolution of reproductive isolation through divergence of flowering phenologies, perhaps as a correlated response to morphological divergence. Evidence suggests that diversification of the group has proceeded in two phases: the first involving divergence of allopatric taxa on varied microhabitats within a novel habitat type (the quartz gravel plains), and the second involving range expansion of an early flowering phenotype on the most extreme edaphic habitat and subsequent incomplete differentiation of allopatric populations of the early flowering group. These results point to adaptive speciation in allopatry as a likely model for the spectacular diversification of the ice-plant family in the dissected landscapes of the southern African winter rainfall deserts.

Aizoaceae↗
PubMed1996

Gene conversion contributes to Ig light chain diversity in cattle.

In humans and mice, extensive gene rearrangement is the major mechanism of diversification of the primary Ig repertoire. This study shows that cattle depart from this pattern because rearrangement in the light chain locus is sharply limited. Furthermore, in cattle, gene conversion contributes to the diversification of the primary light chain repertoire. Sequencing of germ-line and expressed Vlambda genes revealed three important features. First, the germ line contained a number of Vlambda pseudogenes. In fact, 14 (70%) of the 20 germ-line genes identified and sequenced were pseudogenes, because they had one or more of the following defects: lack of recombination signal sequences at the 3' end, stop codons within the reading frame or truncations, and/or insertions or deletions that resulted in loss of reading frame. Second, Vlambda cDNA from ileal Peyer's patch B cells demonstrated that the light chain repertoire arises from only a small number of V(J) rearrangements. Even though two J genes were identified in the germ line, all of the expressed Vlambda genes examined contained the same J segment, indicating that only a single J gene participates in rearrangement at the lambda locus. Third, a significant number of departures from the germ-line sequences of rearranged Vlambda can be traced to donor sequences of one or more Vlambda pseudogenes. We conclude that a limited number of rearrangements and gene conversion play a role in contributing to the diversification of the primary lambda repertoire. Furthermore, while clear indications of a role for somatic mutation in lambda diversification was seen, V gene rearrangement was not a major factor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2026

Phylogenomics and evolution of the Lauraceae based on targeted capture data.

The family Lauraceae, a hyper-diverse magnoliid family comprising approximately 63 genera and over 3,000 species, plays a key ecological role in tropical and subtropical forests. Yet deep relationships among its nine tribes remain unresolved, likely due to limited sampling and complex evolutionary processes such as incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and gene flow. To address these challenges, we generated datasets of 255 single-copy nuclear genes and chloroplast genomes using a newly designed Lauraceae-specific probe set, achieving the most comprehensive genus-level sampling (84%) to date. Phylogenomic analyses reconstructed a robust nuclear tree, which resolved the Neocinnamomeae as sister to the Caryodaphnopsideae and revealed pronounced gene tree conflict and pervasive cytonuclear discordance. To investigate the evolutionary processes underlying these patterns, comprehensive analyses were conducted. The results indicate that conflicting nuclear gene trees reflect the combined effects of ILS, gene tree estimation error, and gene flow, with ILS dominating across the core Lauraceae, whereas cytonuclear discordance is primarily driven by extensive gene flow. Diversification analyses further indicate that episodes of rapid lineage accumulation coincide with major gene flow events, suggesting a potential role of gene flow in the diversification of Lauraceae. Overall, this study provides a robust nuclear phylogenomic framework for Lauraceae and demonstrates that gene flow had profound effects on its evolutionary history, shedding light on the contribution of gene flow to the diversification of hyper-diverse tropical plant lineages.

Cytonuclear discordance↗
PubMed2026

The Evolutionary Significance of Leaf Nodulation: Evidence from Ardisia and Its Relatives (Primulaceae: Myrsinoideae).

Interactions between plants and microorganisms have long been a central topic in biological research. Bacterial symbiosis on leaf surfaces represents a distinctive and mutually beneficial system within the phyllosphere microbiome. Leaf nodules are the visible manifestation of the symbiosis and confer ecological advantages to host plants by enhancing host resistance against pathogens and herbivores. It has been hypothesized that these advantages promote higher diversification rates in host lineages, but this remains uncertain. Ardisia subg. Crispardisia and its close relatives (Amblyanthopsis and Amblyanthus) within Primulaceae are typical plant groups with leaf nodule symbiosis, making them an ideal system for testing this hypothesis. In this study, we conducted extensive sampling of "Ardisioids" (Ardisia and its allies) and reconstructed their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history using plastid genomes and nuclear datasets (i.e., nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)). We clarified the phylogenetic positions of several "Ardisioids" genera (e.g., Sadiria, Tapeinosperma, Amblyanthus, and Amblyanthopsis) and multiple subgenera within Ardisia. We further detected a rapid radiation during the middle Miocene in Ardisia and its allies. Notably, we found that the leaf-nodulated clade appears to have originated during this period, approximately 11-8 Ma. BAMM (Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures) analyses revealed elevated diversification rates in leaf-nodulated lineages, while HiSSE (Hidden State Speciation and Extinction) analyses indicated that leaf nodule symbiosis might have increased speciation rates without significantly affecting extinction rates. These results provide strong evidence that leaf nodule symbiosis, together with other abiotic and biotic factors, represents a key evolutionary innovation that has promoted diversification in Ardisia and its close relatives.

diversification rate↗
PubMed1997

Mixed cultures of avian blastoderm cells and the quail mesoderm cell line QCE-6 provide evidence for the pluripotentiality of early mesoderm.

During the early stages of embryogenesis, the mesoderm gives rise to cells of the cardiovascular system which include cardiac myocytes and vascular endothelial and red blood cells. We have investigated the development of these cell phenotypes using aggregate cultures of avian blastoderm cells, which replicated mesodermal cell diversification. The cell phenotypes expressed by the blastoderm cells were dependent upon the age of the blastoderm cells, with Hamburger-Hamilton stage 3 or 4 cells giving rise to endothelial and red blood cells and stage 5 cells producing endothelial and myocardial cells. To begin to understand the stage dependency of the cellular diversification of these aggregate cultures, we treated the cultures with various signaling factors that have been shown to be present in the early avian embryo. These experiments showed that stem cell factor and TGF alpha altered cell phenotypes by stimulating red blood cell and myocardial differentiation, respectively. The ability of these growth factors to shift the differentiation profile of aggregate cultures demonstrated the plasticity of early embryonic cells. To explore the diversification of individual mesodermal cells, labeled QCE-6 cells were incorporated within these blastoderm aggregate cultures. Previous studies have shown that this quail mesodermal cell line possesses characteristics of early nondifferentiated mesodermal cells and can be induced to express either myocardial or endothelial cell phenotypes (C. A. Eisenberg and D. M. Bader, 1996, Circ. Res. 78, 205-216). In the present study, we show that when these cells were cultured as a component of blastoderm cell aggregates, they differentiated into fully contractile cardiomyocytes or endothelial or red blood cells. Moreover, QCE-6 cell differentiation was in accordance with that displayed by the blastoderm cells. Specifically, QCE-6 cells differentiated into red blood cells when cultured within stage 3 or stage 4, but not stage 5, blastoderm cell aggregates. Accordingly, the differentiation of QCE-6 cells into beating cardiomyocytes only occurred when these cells were incorporated into stage 5 blastoderm cell aggregates. The identical sorting and differentiation patterns that were exhibited by QCE-6 and blastoderm cells suggest that expression of differentiated cell types within the early mesoderm is directed by the surrounding environment without immediate cellular commitment. In addition, these results provide further evidence that QCE-6 cells are representative of a multipotential mesodermal stem cell and that they possess the potential to exhibit fully differentiated cell phenotypes.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Generation of phenotypic diversity and progression in metastatic tumor cells.

The emergence of diversified tumor cell subpopulations in malignant neoplasms accounts for their heterogeneous cellular phenotypes and virtually ensures that some tumor cells will ultimately evolve with the most favorable properties for their enhanced abilities to survive, grow, invade and metastasize (tumor progression). The rates of cellular phenotypic diversification appear to vary greatly among different tumors and within the same tumor, and they are probably controlled, at least in part, by cellular instability due to chromosomal defects and random somatic mutational events, the rates of which are known to be higher in more malignant cells, and by epigenetic events, which may vary widely depending on the nature of the tumor cells and their microenvironments. As tumor progression proceeds, the most malignant cell subpopulations appear to lose their responsiveness to changes in tumor microenvironment while maintaining their high rates of phenotypic diversification. Tumor and normal cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, as well as tumor cell nutrients, oxygen, hormones, growth factors, inducers and other regulatory molecules provide individual malignant cells with microenvironmental signals that could act through epigenetic cellular modifications, such as DNA methylation, and transcriptional, posttranscriptional, translational and posttranslational controls, or combinations of these. In addition, integration of viral gene sequences or viral modification of host DNA in critical regions could affect phenotypic stability. Finally, manipulation of tumor cells by antitumor therapy can also have profound effects on the rates of phenotypic diversification of the surviving tumor cells. A model for generating cellular phenotypic diversity based on the proposed mechanism for rapid generation of immunoglobulin molecular diversity in B cells may be applicable to malignant cells and to cells in general. In this model the expression and activity of gene products from multigene families are affected by a variety of genetic and epigenetic controlling mechanisms, and alterations in regulatory genes caused by recombination, methylation, mutation, or other changes could lead to differences in gene expression, resulting in widespread quantitative (and perhaps some qualitative) changes in particular gene products or their activities. As they proceed down different pathways of gene expression, each cell would be exposed to continual host selection pressures creating diverse, ever-changing malignant cell-populations.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Identification of new TAP2 alleles in gorilla: evolution of the locus within hominoids.

Transporters associated with antigen processing molecules (TAP1 and TAP2) mediate the transfer of cytosolic peptides into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum for association with newly synthesized class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex. Previous molecular and functional analyses of rat and human TAP2 homologues indicated major differences in gene diversification patterns and selectivity of peptides transported. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the alleles of the gorilla TAP2 locus to determine whether the pattern of diversification resembled that in either of those two species. Sequence analysis of the TAP2 cDNAs from gorilla Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell lines revealed four alleles with a genetic distance of less than 1%. The nucleotide substitutions distinguishing the alleles are confined to the 3' half of the coding region and occur individually or within two small clusters of variability. Diversification of the locus appears to have resulted from point substitutions and recombinational events. Evolutionary-rate estimates for the TAP2 gene in gorilla and human closely approximate those observed for other hominoid genes. The amino acid polymorphisms within the gorilla molecules are distinct from those in the human homologues. The absence of ancestral polymorphisms suggests that gorilla and human TAP2 genes have not evolved in a trans-species fashion but rather have diversified since the divergence of the lineages.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed2002

The evolution of engrailed genes after duplication and speciation events.

Members of the engrailed class encode transcription factors involved in major steps of metazoan development. Few developmental regulatory genes have been studied in such a wide range of animals. Furthermore duplications of an ancestral engrailed gene independently generated multiple engrailed paralogues in several organisms. This offers the opportunity to reconstruct the evolution of the engrailed family and to study the processes involved in the functional diversification following speciation or duplication events. The ancestral function of engrailedis very likely involved in neurogenesis. Recent studies in Drosophila and mice have shown its crucial role in neuronal connectivity and neuromuscular targeting. engrailed was probably recruited very early for a role in segmentation through intercalary evolution. Several new functions were acquired later on in specific phyla. Some duplication events have been followed by the loss of one paralogue, whereas others have led to the functional diversification of the paralogues. The Duplication-Degenerescence-Complementation model recently proposed by Force et al. seems to be the main process involved in functional diversification after duplication events. This does not exclude acquisition of new functions for one or both paralogues after duplication. The acquisition of such new functions principally involves the evolution of cis-regulatory sequences, but evolution of the coding sequence has also been revealed. However, in all engrailed duplications studied, even in ancient chromosomal duplications, the paralogues have kept redundant functions. In fact, selection seems to maintain a certain redundancy between engrailed paralogues.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Evolutionary expansion of the Monogenea.

The evolutionary expansion of the monogeneans has taken place in parallel with the diversification of the fish-like vertebrates. In this article the main trends in monogenean evolution are traced from a hypothetical skin-parasitic ancestor on early vertebrates. Special consideration is given to the following topics: early divergence between skin feeders and blood feeders; diversification and specialization of the haptor for attachment to skin; transfer from host to host, viviparity and the success of the gyrodactylids; predation on skin parasites and camouflage; colonization of the buccal and branchial cavities; diversification and specialization of the haptor for attachment to the gills; phoresy in gill parasites; the development of endoparasitism and the origin of the cestodes; the success of dactylogyroidean gill parasites; the uniqueness of the polyopisthocotyleans; ovoviviparity and the colonization of the tetrapods. Host specificity has been the guiding force of coevolution between monogeneans and their vertebrate hosts, but the establishment of monogeneans on unrelated hosts sharing the same environment (host-switching) may have been underestimated. Host-switching has provided significant opportunities for evolutionary change of direction and is probably responsible for the establishment of monogeneans on cephalopod molluscs, on the hippopotamus and possibly on chelonians. There are indications that host-switching may be more common in monogeneans that spread by direct transfer of adults/juveniles from host to host. A limitation on the further expansion of monogeneans is the need for water for the dispersal of the infective larva (oncomiracidium).

Animals↗
PubMed2005

MIKC-type MADS-domain proteins: structural modularity, protein interactions and network evolution in land plants.

MIKC-type proteins represent a class of MADS-domain transcription factors and are defined by a unique domain structure: in addition to the highly conserved DNA-binding MADS-domain, they have three other domains ('I', 'K' and 'C'), with the keratin-like K-domain being the most highly conserved and characteristic one. The number and functional diversity of MIKC-type proteins increased considerably during land plant evolution, culminating in higher flowering plants, where they dominate the control of reproductive development from early to late stages. We wonder how one special class of proteins became important in the control of essentially all stages of a morphogenetic process. All MADS-domain proteins appear to bind to DNA as homo- or heterodimers and may function as part of ternary transcription factor complexes involving non-MADS-domain proteins. Only MIKC-type proteins, however, generate complex intrafamily interaction networks. These are based on the special potential of MIKC-type proteins to form complexes involving more than two homologous proteins constituting transcriptional regulators. We speculate that the potential to form heteromultimers of homologous proteins was achieved by the acquisition of the K-domain during evolution. There is emerging evidence that organismal complexity arises from progressively more elaborate regulation of gene expression. We hypothesize that combinatorial multimer formation of MIKC-type MADS-domain proteins facilitated an unusually efficient and rapid functional diversification based on gene duplication, sequence divergence and fixation. This 'networking' may have enabled a more sophisticated transcriptional control of target genes which was recruited for controlling increasingly complex and diverse developmental pathways during the rapid origin and diversification of plant reproductive structures. Therefore, MIKC-type proteins may owe their evolutionary 'success' and present-day developmental importance in part to their modular domain structure. Investigating the evolution of MIKC-type genes may thus help to better understand origin and diversification of gene regulatory networks.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Diversity as a product of inter-specific interactions.

We demonstrate diversification rather than optimization for highly interacting organisms in a well-mixed biological system by means of a simple model of coevolution. We find the cause to be the complex network of interactions formed, allowing species that are less well adapted to an environment to succeed, instead of the 'best' species. This diversification can be considered as the construction of many coevolutionary niches by the network of interactions between species. The model predictions are discussed in relation to experimental work on dense communities of the bacteria Escherichia coli, which may coexist with their own mutants under certain conditions. We find that diversification only occurs above a certain threshold interaction strength, below which competitive exclusion occurs.

Adaptation, Physiological↗