Comparative Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Role of Conserved Function in Electric Organ Convergence Across Electric Fishes.

ABSTRACT: The independent origins of multiple electric organs (EOs) of fish are fascinating examples of convergent evolution. However, comparative transcriptomics of different electric fish lineages are scarce. In this study, we found that the gene expression of EOs and skeletal muscles from three lineages (Mormyroidea, Siluriformes, and Gymnotiformes) tended to cluster together based on the species of origin, irrespective of the organ from which they are derived. A pairwise comparison of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that no less than half of shared DEGs exhibited parallel expression differentiation, indicating conserved directionality of differential expression either in or between lineages, but only a few shared DEGs were identified across all focal species. Nevertheless, the fun

SUBMITTER: Liu A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6657706 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature