More than just orphans: are taxonomically-restricted genes important in evolution?

Comparative genome analyses indicate that every taxonomic group so far studied contains 10–20% of genes that lack recognizable homologs in other species. Do such ‘orphan’ or ‘taxonomically-restricted’ genes comprise spurious, non-functional ORFs, or does their presence reflect important evolutionary...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in genetics 2009-09, Vol.25 (9), p.404-413
Main Authors: Khalturin, Konstantin, Hemmrich, Georg, Fraune, Sebastian, Augustin, René, Bosch, Thomas C.G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acropora
Adaptation, Biological - genetics
Animals
Bacteria - genetics
Biological and medical sciences
Biological evolution
Evolution, Molecular
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes
Genetic Variation
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Humans
Hydra
Hydra - anatomy & histology
Hydra - classification
Hydra - genetics
Medical Education
Metazoa
Nematostella
Phylogeny
Species Specificity
Yeasts - genetics
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Summary:Comparative genome analyses indicate that every taxonomic group so far studied contains 10–20% of genes that lack recognizable homologs in other species. Do such ‘orphan’ or ‘taxonomically-restricted’ genes comprise spurious, non-functional ORFs, or does their presence reflect important evolutionary processes? Recent studies in basal metazoans such as Nematostella , Acropora and Hydra have shed light on the function of these genes, and now indicate that they are involved in important species-specific adaptive processes. Here we focus on evidence from Hydra suggesting that taxonomically-restricted genes play a role in the creation of phylum-specific novelties such as cnidocytes, in the generation of morphological diversity, and in the innate defence system. We propose that taxon-specific genes drive morphological specification, enabling organisms to adapt to changing conditions.
ISSN:0168-9525
DOI:10.1016/j.tig.2009.07.006