生物谷報道：生物進化的重要特征就是新適應性功能的不斷出現(xiàn),。這一過程的遺傳基礎(chǔ)一直是生物學研究的重要方向。新基因的出現(xiàn),、選擇性剪切和基因表達調(diào)控的改變是已經(jīng)報道的3種重要機制,。最近，中科院昆明動物所王文研究員領(lǐng)導的馬普進化基因組學小組發(fā)現(xiàn),，基因中新外顯子的出現(xiàn)也是增加蛋白多樣性和新功能起源的一種重要方式,。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)在哺乳動物的一個重要轉(zhuǎn)錄抑制因子CDYL基因中，新外顯子反復在不同哺乳動物譜系中發(fā)生,，而且這些新外顯子能給該基因帶來很大的功能改變,。
讓科研人員感到特別有意思的是，在包括人在內(nèi)的大猿進化過程中,，從大猩猩開始,，到黑猩猩和人，CDYL基因也進化出了新的外顯子,，對人類的進化做出了貢獻,。該工作發(fā)表于2007年8月國際著名遺傳學刊物Trends in Genetics上。審稿人評價該工作是研究基因組進化和外顯子進化的一個重大進步,。（ 昆明動物研究所）
原始出處:
Trends in Genetics
Volume 23, Issue 9, September 2007, Pages 427-431
doi:10.1016/j.tig.2007.06.001
Genome Analysis
Functional consequences of new exon acquisition in mammalian chromodomain Y-like (CDYL) genes
Xin Li1, 5, *, Jing Liang2, *, Haijing Yu3, Bing Su1, 4, Chunjie Xiao3, Yongfeng Shang2, and Wen Wang1, 4,
1CAS-Max Planck Junior Research Group, Key Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China
3Key Laboratory of Bioresources Conservation and Utilization and Human Genetics Center of Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
4Kunming Primate Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
5Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
Available online 18 June 2007.
The origin of new exons is an important mechanism for proteome diversity. Here, we report the recurrent origination of new exons in mammalian chromodomain Y-like (CDYL) genes and the functional consequences associated with the acquisition of the new exons. Driven by positive selection, the newly evolved longer peptide exhibits weaker transcription repression activity and attenuates the repression activity of the old form, suggesting that the acquisition of the new exons is functionally significant.
* These authors contributed equally to this work.
