Birth-and-Death Evolution of the Fatty Acyl-CoA Reductase (FAR) Gene Family and Diversification of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Synthesis in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The birth-and-death evolutionary model proposes that some members of a multigene family are phylogenetically stable and persist as a single copy over time, whereas other members are phylogenetically unstable and undergo frequent duplication and loss. Functional studies suggest that stable genes are likely to encode essential functions, whereas rapidly evolving genes reflect phenotypic differences in traits that diverge rapidly among species. One such class of rapidly diverging traits are insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), which play dual roles in chemical communications as short-range recognition pheromones as well as protecting the insect from desiccation. Insect CHCs diverge rapidly between related species leading to ecological adaptation and/or reproductive isolation. Because the CHC

SUBMITTER: Finet C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6546124 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature