The gain and loss of genes during 600 million years of vertebrate evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gene duplication is assumed to have played a crucial role in the evolution of vertebrate organisms. Apart from a continuous mode of duplication, two or three whole genome duplication events have been proposed during the evolution of vertebrates, one or two at the dawn of vertebrate evolution, and an additional one in the fish lineage, not shared with land vertebrates. Here, we have studied gene gain and loss in seven different vertebrate genomes, spanning an evolutionary period of about 600 million years.

Results

We show that: first, the majority of duplicated genes in extant vertebrate genomes are ancient and were created at times that coincide with proposed whole genome duplication events; second, there exist significant differences in gene retention for differe

SUBMITTER: Blomme T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1779523 | biostudies-literature | 2006

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature