Less, but More: New Insights From Appendicularians on Chordate Fgf Evolution and the Divergence of Tunicate Lifestyles.

ABSTRACT: The impact of gene loss on the diversification of taxa and the emergence of evolutionary innovations remains poorly understood. Here, our investigation on the evolution of the Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) in appendicularian tunicates as a case study reveals a scenario of "less, but more" characterized by massive losses of all Fgf gene subfamilies, except for the Fgf9/16/20 and Fgf11/12/13/14, which in turn underwent two bursts of duplications. Through phylogenetic analysis, synteny conservation, and gene and protein structure, we reconstruct the history of appendicularian Fgf genes, highlighting their paracrine and intracellular functions. An exhaustive analysis of developmental Fgf expression in Oikopleura dioica allows us to identify four associated evolutionary patterns characterizi

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Serna G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11733497 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature