Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:02:19 BST CiteULike: emptyhb's Gompel http://www.citeulike.org/user/emptyhb/author/Gompel CiteULike.org en-gb Copyright © 2004-2008 citeulike.org http://www.citeulike.org/user/emptyhb/article/1390790 <i>Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Vol. 104 Suppl 1 (15 May 2007), pp. 8605-8612.</i><br /><br />Understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing the evolution of morphology is a major challenge in biology. Because most animals share a conserved repertoire of body-building and -patterning genes, morphological diversity appears to evolve primarily through changes in the deployment of these genes during development. The complex expression patterns of developmentally regulated genes are typically controlled by numerous independent cis-regulatory elements (CREs). It has been proposed that morphological evolution relies predominantly on changes in the architecture of gene regulatory networks and in particular on functional changes within CREs. Here, we discuss recent experimental studies that support this hypothesis and reveal some unanticipated features of how regulatory evolution occurs. From this growing body of evidence, we identify three key operating principles underlying regulatory evolution, that is, how regulatory evolution: (i) uses available genetic components in the form of preexisting and active transcription factors and CREs to generate novelty; (ii) minimizes the penalty to overall fitness by introducing discrete changes in gene expression; and (iii) allows interactions to arise among any transcription factor and downstream CRE. These principles endow regulatory evolution with a vast creative potential that accounts for both relatively modest morphological differences among closely related species and more profound anatomical divergences among groups at higher taxonomical levels. Colloquium Papers: Emerging principles of regulatory evolution. B Prud'homme N Gompel SB Carroll doi:10.1073/pnas.0700488104 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Vol. 104 Suppl 1 (15 May 2007), pp. 8605-8612. 2007-06-14T22:46:27-00:00 2007 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 0027-8424 104 Suppl 1 8605 8612 cis_regulatory_evolution review http://www.citeulike.org/user/emptyhb/article/467924 <i>Nature, Vol. 433, No. 7025. (3 February 2005), pp. 481-487.</i><br /><br />The gain, loss or modification of morphological traits is generally associated with changes in gene regulation during development. However, the molecular bases underlying these evolutionary changes have remained elusive. Here we identify one of the molecular mechanisms that contributes to the evolutionary gain of a male-specific wing pigmentation spot in Drosophila biarmipes, a species closely related to Drosophila melanogaster. We show that the evolution of this spot involved modifications of an ancestral cis-regulatory element of the yellow pigmentation gene. This element has gained multiple binding sites for transcription factors that are deeply conserved components of the regulatory landscape controlling wing development, including the selector protein Engrailed. The evolutionary stability of components of regulatory landscapes, which can be co-opted by chance mutations in cis-regulatory elements, might explain the repeated evolution of similar morphological patterns, such as wing pigmentation patterns in flies. Chance caught on the wing: cis-regulatory evolution and the origin of pigment patterns in Drosophila. N Gompel B Prud'homme PJ Wittkopp VA Kassner SB Carroll doi:10.1038/nature03235 Nature, Vol. 433, No. 7025. (3 February 2005), pp. 481-487. 2006-01-18T01:41:02-00:00 2005 Nature 1476-4687 433 7025 481 487 cis_regulatory_elements cis_regulatory_evolution drosophila phenotype species_divergence http://www.citeulike.org/user/emptyhb/article/591512 <i>Nature, Vol. 440, No. 7087., pp. 1050-1053.</i> Repeated morphological evolution through cis-regulatory changes in a pleiotropic gene Benjamin Prud'homme Nicolas Gompel Antonis Rokas Victoria Kassner Thomas Williams Shu-Dan Yeh John True Sean Carroll doi:10.1038/nature04597 Nature, Vol. 440, No. 7087., pp. 1050-1053. 2006-04-20T00:45:36-00:00 Nature 0028-0836 440 7087 1050 1053 Nature Publishing Group cis_regulatory_evolution function_study phenotype