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More genes in vertebrates?

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Journal of Structural and Functional Genomics

Abstract

With the acquisition of complete genome sequences from several animals, there is renewed interest in the pattern of genome evolution on our own lineage. One key question is whether gene number increased during chordate or vertebrate evolution. It is argued here that comparing the total number of genes between a fly, a nematode and human is not appropriate to address this question. Extensive gene loss after duplication is one complication; another is the problem of comparing taxa that are phylogenetically very distant. Amphioxus and tunicates are more appropriate animals for comparison to vertebrates. Comparisons of clustered homeobox genes, where gene loss can be identified, reveals a one to four mode of evolution for Hox and ParaHox genes. Analyses of other gene families in amphioxus and vertebrates confirm that gene duplication was very widespread on the vertebrate lineage. These data confirm that vertebrates have more genes than their closest invertebrate relatives, acquired through gene duplication. abbreviations IHGSC, International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium; TCESC, The C. elegans Sequencing Consortium.

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Author notes

  1. Peter W.H. Holland

    Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Animal & Microbial Sciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 228, Reading, RG6 6AJ, United Kingdom

    Peter W.H. Holland

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  1. Peter W.H. Holland
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Holland, P.W. More genes in vertebrates?. J Struct Func Genom 3, 75–84 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022656931587

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