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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Phenotype loss is associated with widespread divergence of the gene regulatory landscape in evolution

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Author(s):
Roscito, Juliana G. [1, 2, 3, 4] ; Sameith, Katrin [2, 3, 4] ; Parra, Genis [2, 3, 4] ; Langer, Bjoern E. [2, 3, 4] ; Petzold, Andreas [5] ; Moebius, Claudia [3] ; Bickle, Marc [3] ; Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut [1] ; Hiller, Michael [2, 3, 4]
Total Authors: 9
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Max Planck Inst Phys Komplexer Syst, D-01187 Dresden - Germany
[3] Max Planck Inst Mol Cell Biol & Genet, D-01307 Dresden - Germany
[4] Ctr Syst Biol Dresden, D-01307 Dresden - Germany
[5] Tech Univ Dresden, Ctr Regenerat Therapies, D-01307 Dresden - Germany
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS; v. 9, NOV 9 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 4
Abstract

Detecting the genomic changes underlying phenotypic changes between species is a main goal of evolutionary biology and genomics. Evolutionary theory predicts that changes in cisregulatory elements are important for morphological changes. We combined genome sequencing, functional genomics and genome-wide comparative analyses to investigate regulatory elements in lineages that lost morphological traits. We first show that limb loss in snakes is associated with widespread divergence of limb regulatory elements. We next show that eye degeneration in subterranean mammals is associated with widespread divergence of eye regulatory elements. In both cases, sequence divergence results in an extensive loss of transcription factor binding sites. Importantly, diverged regulatory elements are associated with genes required for normal limb patterning or normal eye development and function, suggesting that regulatory divergence contributed to the loss of these phenotypes. Together, our results show that genome-wide decay of the phenotype-specific cis-regulatory landscape is a hallmark of lost morphological traits. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/01319-8 - Developmental mechanisms of limb reduction in Squamata
Grantee:Juliana Gusson Roscito
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral