Gene loss and relaxed selection of plaat1 in vertebrates adapted to low-light environments.

ABSTRACT: Gene loss is an important mechanism for evolution in low-light or cave environments where visual adaptations often involve a reduction or loss of eyesight. The plaat gene family are phospholipases essential for the degradation of organelles in the lens of the eye. They translocate to damaged organelle membranes, inducing them to rupture. This rupture is required for lens transparency and is essential for developing a functioning eye. Plaat3 is thought to be responsible for this role in mammals, while plaat1 is thought to be responsible in other vertebrates. We used a macroevolutionary approach and comparative genomics to examine the origin, loss, synteny, and selection of plaat1 across bony fishes and tetrapods. We show that plaat1 (likely ancestral to al

SUBMITTER: Drabeck DH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10760033 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature