Evolution of genomic imprinting as a coordinator of coadapted gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon in which the expression of a gene copy inherited from the mother differs from that of the copy inherited from the father. Many imprinted genes appear to be highly interconnected through interactions mediated by proteins, RNA, and DNA. These kinds of interactions often favor the evolution of genetic coadaptation, where beneficially interacting alleles evolve to become coinherited. Here I demonstrate theoretically that the presence of gene interactions that favor coadaptation can also favor the evolution of genomic imprinting. Selection favors genomic imprinting because it coordinates the coexpression of positively interacting alleles at different loci. Evolution is expected to proceed through a scenario where selection builds associations betwe

SUBMITTER: Wolf JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3612623 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature