Functional diversification of paralogous transcription factors via divergence in DNA binding site motif and in expression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gene duplication is a major driver of evolutionary innovation as it allows for an organism to elaborate its existing biological functions via specialization or diversification of initially redundant gene paralogs. Gene function can diversify in several ways. Transcription factor gene paralogs in particular, can diversify either by changes in their tissue-specific expression pattern or by changes in the DNA binding site motif recognized by their protein product, which in turn alters their gene targets. The relationship between these two modes of functional diversification of transcription factor paralogs has not been previously investigated, and is essential for understanding adaptive evolution of transcription factor gene families.

Findings

Based on a large set of

SUBMITTER: Singh LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2394658 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature