Unequal genetic redundancies in Arabidopsis – a neglected phenomenon?

Genetic redundancy is a common phenomenon in Arabidopsis and is thought to be responsible for the absence of phenotypes in the majority of single loss-of-function mutants. In this review, we highlight an increasing number of examples in which redundancy between homologous genes is limited or absent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in plant science 2006-10, Vol.11 (10), p.492-498
Main Authors: Briggs, Georgette C., Osmont, Karen S., Shindo, Chikako, Sibout, Richard, Hardtke, Christian S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arabidopsis
Arabidopsis - genetics
Arabidopsis - growth & development
Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics
Arabidopsis Proteins - physiology
Arabidopsis thaliana
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Environment and pollution
evolution
Evolution, Molecular
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Duplication
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
genetic redundancy
Genetically engineered organisms behavior (microorganisms, plants, animals)
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
literature reviews
Models, Genetic
Mutation
Phenotype
plant genetics
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
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Summary:Genetic redundancy is a common phenomenon in Arabidopsis and is thought to be responsible for the absence of phenotypes in the majority of single loss-of-function mutants. In this review, we highlight an increasing number of examples in which redundancy between homologous genes is limited or absent despite functional equivalence of the respective proteins. In particular, we focus on cases of unequal redundancy, where the absence of a mutant phenotype in loss-of-function mutants of one gene contrasts with a strong phenotype in mutants of its homolog. In the double mutants, this phenotype is strongly enhanced. Possible explanations for such scenarios are discussed. We propose that the study of unequally redundant gene pairs offers a unique opportunity to understand global patterns of functional genome evolution.
ISSN:1360-1385
1878-4372
DOI:10.1016/j.tplants.2006.08.005