Genome Evolution

- C. R. Hemalatha
 SYNOPSIS

• Organization of genes

• Transmission of information

• Relatives

• Causes
 Organization of genes
• A gene is a segment of DNA which codes for a protein

• A gene may occur on either strand of DNA

• Genes are continuous stretches (almost always) in

prokaryotes

• Genes are (often) discontinuous stretches (exons) in

eukaryotes

• The intervening regions are called introns

• Location of regulatory region is less predictable

 Transmission of information

• The continuity of life is a reflection of the faithful

transmission of genetic information

• The adaptation of life (evolution) is a result of

• imperfect transmission of information and
• natural selection
• Vertical transfer

• Horizontal transfer
 Close relatives
• Yeast, fly, worm and human share at least 1308
groups of proteins
• Unique to vertebrates: immune proteins (for
example)
• Unique molecules are adapted from ancient
molecules of different purpose but similar design
• Most new proteins come from domain
rearrangement
• Most new species come from control region
variation
 Causes for Evolution
• Mutation
 Causes for Evolution

Gene inactivation

• Gene inactivation by methylation of CpG

sites within the promoters of genes

• This can lead to gene silencing, common

in human cancers

• E.g. silencing of tumor suppressor genes

Gene inactivation
Variations
Causes for Evolution
• Paralogs
• Duplication
• Orthologs
• Speciation
• Ohnologs
• WGD
• Xenologs
• HGT
Orthologs and Paralogs
Chromosome rearrangement
Chromosome duplication
 Pseudogenes

•They are non functional copies of known genes

• That have lost their protein-coding ability or are

otherwise are no longer expressed in the cell
 Other Causes for Evolution

• Natural selection
– Variation
– Different reproductive success
– Inheritance

• Gene regulation differences

• C Value - paradox and enigma

 Other Causes for Evolution

• Endosymbiosis

• Genetic Drift
– Founder effect
– Bottleneck effect

• Adaptation, etc.
Any queries?
Thank you!