基因及其顺式调控元件在动物表型进化中的作用

顺式调控假说是当前进化发育生物学中重要的理论之一, 该假说认为顺式调控元件的进化是调控外表性状进化的主要遗传机制。然而越来越多的实验结果表明, 仅靠顺式调控假说远不足以解释复杂的进化发育过程, 其他因素也会导致表型的进化, 如：与顺式调控元件相联基因的蛋白序列改变; 基因及染色体组复制; 蛋白结构域与顺式调控元件的灵活性等。文章回顾了近年来顺式调控元件以及与顺式调控元件相联基因的进化发育研究, 探讨了进化发育生物学研究的新方法与新思路。     

进化发育生物学--发育、进化和遗传的再联合

发育生物学和进化生物学,以及遗传学历史上曾一度是彼此不分的统一体,后来由于各自研究重点的不同和相应研究手段的独立发展彼此分道扬镳了。如今,由于分子遗传学研究手段的革新使得基因序列测定成为分析发育机理、区分物种和评估种间亲缘关系的常规手段,三者又在基因水平上再度统一起来了,并形成一门被称为进化发育生物学（ｅｖｏｌｕｔｉｏｎａｒｙ ｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔａｌ ｂｉｏｌｏｇｙ）的新学科。     

果蝇中顺式调控序列的进化

顺式调控序列(cis-regularory sequences)是与基因表达调控相关、能够被调控因子特异性识别和结合的非编码DNA序列。顺式调控序列可以通过增减所含转录因子结合位点的数目,重构转录调控网络,以精准调控基因的时空表达模式,从而调控动物的生理和形态表型。顺式调控假说认为顺式调控序列进化是自然界丰富的动物表型进化的主要遗传机制。本文首先简述了顺式调控序列的结构和功能,然后重点讨论了近年来顺式调控序列进化调控果蝇表型进化如刚毛表型进化、色素沉积表型进化和胚胎发育方面的研究进展,阐释了顺式调控序列进化是动物表型进化的主要遗传机制之一。最后本文展望了顺式调控序列未来研究方向,例如应用功能基因组研究、开展ENCODE计划等,为进化发育生物学中顺式调控序列的研究提供了参考。     

利用进化比较的方法确定β珠蛋白基因簇调控的顺式元件

利用进化比较的方法对我、兔子和灵长类Ｇａｌａｇｏ的β珠蛋白基因以及所在的β珠蛋白基因簇进行分析,确定了可能的基因调控的顺式元件,并与一些实验结果进行比较,发现利用进行比较的方法确定基因调控的顺式元件是一种简单可行的方法。     

真核生物转录调控进化的研究进展

转录调控进化在真核生物的表型进化中发挥了重要作用.首先介绍了基因转录调控元件,包括基因上游调控序列和转录因子的进化特点,然后阐述了转录调控进化在生物体进化中所起的作用,最后提出了当前研究转录调控进化所面临的问题和挑战.     

工业微生物遗传和环境扰动的调控和适应进化

开发工业微生物,使其利用可再生的原料生产生物燃料、大宗化学品、食品添加剂和营养品、药物以及工业酶等,是发展生物产业的基础。工业微生物高产和胁迫抗性等鲁棒性状受复杂遗传调控网络控制,其改造需要从全基因组尺度进行系统的全局的多位点的扰动,以达到快速积累多样性基因型突变并产生所期望的表型。文中对工业微生物鲁棒性状的遗传调控与胁迫响应机制、基因组全局扰动与多位点快速进化以及细胞水平氧还平衡的全局扰动进行了简要综述,未来需要继续借助系统生物学和合成生物学手段,进一步加强对工业环境下工业微生物鲁棒性状调控机理的解析与建模预测以及系统的工程改造。     

昆虫性信息素生物合成系统脱饱和酶与进化基因组学

多基因家族在进化过程中曾经历了不同程度的基因复制和缺失,并由此导致一些基因在漫长的进化年代中得以存在和表达,而另一些只是在特定时期内短暂出现,之后或者逐渐消失或者沉默进而失去其生物学功能,同时新的基因在复制过程中不断产生。这一现象被称作“产生与死亡演化”(birth-and-death evolution),对于产生新的遗传系统和复杂表型特征具有重要作用。昆虫性信息素生物合成系统脱饱和酶多基因家族的进化过程就是这方面一个典型的例证。     

分子·形态·进化

分子·形态·进化马德如（南开大学分子生物学研究所,天津３０００７１）关键词异位同形盒,发育,进化最早重视‘异位同形’（ｈｏｍｅｏｓｉｓ）这类发育变异并首创此词的是Ｗ．Ｂａｔｅｓｏｎ。在他１８９４年出版的《关于变异的研究资料》一书中列举的例子有：昆虫生...     

"遗传与进化"模块的解读

“遗传与进化”是高中生物学课程内容的共同必修模块之一,内容包括：遗传的细胞基础、遗传的分子基础、遗传的基本规律、生物的变异、人类遗传病、生物的进化6部分。     

Cladodes,leaf-like organs in Asparagus,show the significance of co-option of pre-existing genetic regulatory circuit for morphological diversity of plants

Plants in the genus Asparagus have determinate leaf-like organs called cladodes in the position of leaf axils. Because of their leaf-like morphology, axillary position, and morphological variation, it has been unclear how this unusual organ has evolved and diversified. In the previous study, we have shown that cladodes in the genus Asparagus are modified axillary shoots and proposed a model that cladodes have arisen by co-option and deployment of genetic regulatory circuit (GRC) involved in leaf development. Moreover, we proposed that the alteration of the expression pattern of genes involved in establishment of adaxial/abaxial polarity has led to the morphological diversification from leaf-like to rod-like form of cladodes in the genus. Thus, these results indicated that the co-option and alteration of pre-existing GRC play an important role in acquisition and subsequent morphological diversification.Here, we present data of further expression analysis of A. asparagoides. The results suggested that only a part of the GRC involved in leaf development appears to have been co-opted into cladode development. Based on our study and several examples of the morphological diversification, we briefly discuss the importance of co-option of pre-existing GRC and its genetic modularity in the morphological diversity of plants during evolution.     

Synthetic circuits reveal how mechanisms of gene regulatory networks constrain evolution

Phenotypic variation is the raw material of adaptive Darwinian evolution. The phenotypic variation found in organismal development is biased towards certain phenotypes, but the molecular mechanisms behind such biases are still poorly understood. Gene regulatory networks have been proposed as one cause of constrained phenotypic variation. However, most pertinent evidence is theoretical rather than experimental. Here, we study evolutionary biases in two synthetic gene regulatory circuits expressed in Escherichia coli that produce a gene expression stripe—a pivotal pattern in embryonic development. The two parental circuits produce the same phenotype, but create it through different regulatory mechanisms. We show that mutations cause distinct novel phenotypes in the two networks and use a combination of experimental measurements, mathematical modelling and DNA sequencing to understand why mutations bring forth only some but not other novel gene expression phenotypes. Our results reveal that the regulatory mechanisms of networks restrict the possible phenotypic variation upon mutation. Consequently, seemingly equivalent networks can indeed be distinct in how they constrain the outcome of further evolution.     

Parallel evolution of segmentation by co‐option of ancestral gene regulatory networks

Different sources of data on the evolution of segmentation lead to very different conclusions. Molecular similarities in the developmental pathways generating a segmented body plan tend to suggest a segmented common ancestor for all bilaterally symmetrical animals. Data from paleontology and comparative morphology suggest that this is unlikely. A possible solution to this conundrum is that throughout evolution there was a parallel co‐option of gene regulatory networks that had conserved ancestral roles in determining body axes and in elongating the anterior‐posterior axis. Inherent properties in some of these networks made them easily recruitable for generating repeated patterns and for determining segmental boundaries. Phyla where this process happened are among the most successful in the animal kingdom, as the modular nature of the segmental body organization allowed them to diverge and radiate into a bewildering array of variations on a common theme.     

Repeated modification of early limb morphogenesis programmes underlies the convergence of relative limb length in Anolis lizards

The independent evolution of similar morphologies has long been a subject of considerable interest to biologists. Does phenotypic convergence reflect the primacy of natural selection, or does development set the course of evolution by channelling variation in certain directions? Here, we examine the ontogenetic origins of relative limb length variation among Anolis lizard habitat specialists to address whether convergent phenotypes have arisen through convergent developmental trajectories. Despite the numerous developmental processes that could potentially contribute to variation in adult limb length, our analyses reveal that, in Anolis lizards, such variation is repeatedly the result of changes occurring very early in development, prior to formation of the cartilaginous long bone anlagen.     

The evolution of eusociality in allodapine bees: workers began by waiting

Understanding how sterile worker castes in social insects first evolved is one of the supreme puzzles in social evolution. Here, we show that in the bee tribe Allodapini, the earliest societies did not entail a foraging worker caste, but instead comprised females sharing a nest with supersedure of dominance. Subordinates delayed foraging until they became reproductively active, whereupon they provided food for their own brood as well as for those of previously dominant females. The earliest allodapine societies are, therefore, not consistent with an 'evo-devo' paradigm, where decoupling of foraging and reproductive tasks is proposed as a key early step in social evolution. Important features of these ancestral societies were insurance benefits for dominants, headstart benefits for subordinates and direct reproduction for both. The two lineages where morphologically distinct foraging worker castes evolved both occur in ecosystems with severe constraints on independent nesting and where brood rearing periods are very seasonally restricted. These conditions would have strongly curtailed dispersal options and increased the likelihood that dominance supersedure occurred after brood rearing opportunities were largely degraded. The origins of foraging castes, therefore, represented a shift towards assured fitness gains by subordinates, mediated by the dual constraints of social hierarchies and environmental harshness.     

Biochemical diversity and evolution in the genus Mus

Thirteen biochemical groups of wild mice from Europe, Asia, and Africa belonging to the genus Mus are analyzed at 22–42 protein loci. Phylogenetic trees are proposed and patterns of biochemical evolution are discussed, as well as the possible contribution of wild mice to the genetic diversity of laboratory stocks.