BACKGROUND Avian beta-defensins (AvBDs) represent a group of innate immune genes with broad antimicrobial activity. Within the chicken genome, previous work identified 14 AvBDs in a cluster on chromosome three. The release of a second bird genome, the zebra finch, allows us to study the comparative evolutionary history of these gene clusters between from two species that shared a common ancesto...

Gene duplication is the major resource with which to generate new genes, provide raw material for novel functions evolution. Thus, elucidate gene family evolution after events of vital importance. Anthocyanin O-methyltransferases (AOMTs) have been recognized as being capable anthocyanin methylation, increases diversity and stability improves protection plants from environmental stress. Meanwhil...

Gene duplication provides an essential source of novel genetic material to facilitate rapid morphological evolution. Traits involved in reproduction and sexual dimorphism represent some of the fastest evolving traits in nature, and gene duplication is intricately involved in the origin and evolution of these traits. Here, we review genomic research on stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae) that has been ...

Pathogen resistance genes represent some of the most abundant and diverse gene families found within plant genomes. However, evolutionary mechanisms generating resistance gene diversity at the genome level are not well understood. We used the complete Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequence to show that most duplication of individual NBS-LRR sequences occurs at close physical proximity to the pare...

Starch is the most widespread and abundant storage carbohydrate in crops and its production is critical to both crop yield and quality. In regard to the starch content in the seeds of crop plants, there is a distinct difference between grasses (Poaceae) and dicots. However, few studies have described the evolutionary pattern of genes in the starch biosynthetic pathway in these two groups of pla...

Gene duplication is a major driver of organismal adaptation and evolution and plays an important role in multiple human diseases. Whole-genome analyses have shown similar and high rates of gene duplication across a variety of eukaryotic species. Most of these studies, however, did not address the possible impact of interlocus gene conversion (IGC) on the evolution of gene duplicates. Because IG...

The evolution of specialized tissues with novel functions, such as the silk synthesizing glands in spiders, is likely an influential driver of adaptive success. Large-scale gene duplication events and subsequent paralog divergence are thought to be required for generating evolutionary novelty. Such an event has been proposed for spiders, but not tested. We de novo assembled transcriptomes from ...

Gene duplication is widely regarded as the predominant mechanism by which genes with new functions and associated phenotypic novelties arise. A whole genome duplication occurred shortly before the most recent common ancestor of teleosts, the most diverse chordate group, resulting in duplication and retention of many Hox cluster genes. Because they play a key role in determination of body plan m...

Literature Review Previous use of duplicate genes produced by whole genome duplication in yeast Because analysis of gene duplicates provides some insight into determining if the predicted fRNAs from this study are genuine, it is useful to review the significance of gene duplication and previous studies investigating the evolutionary patterns resulting from a whole genome duplication in yeast. G...

Hemoglobin, a multi-subunit protein used for oxygen transport to peripheral tissues in animals, has rich evolutionary history that spans over 500 million years. Repeated use of pre-existing genes generated novel functions, usually by means gene duplication events are followed co-option. Consequently, the evolution hemoglobin is valuable model understanding conservative extant genetic resources ...