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Novel Insights into Chromosome Evolution in Birds, Archosaurs, and Reptiles

Farré, Marta, Narayan, Jitendra, Slavov, Gancho T., Damas, Joana, Auvil, Loretta, Li, Cai, Jarvis, Erich D., Burt, David W., Griffin, Darren K., Larkin, Denis M. and others. (2016) Novel Insights into Chromosome Evolution in Birds, Archosaurs, and Reptiles. Genome Biology and Evolution, 8 (8). pp. 2442-2451. ISSN 1759-6653. (doi:10.1093/gbe/evw166) (KAR id:57024)

Abstract

Homologous synteny blocks (HSBs) and evolutionary breakpoint regions (EBRs) in mammalian chromosomes are enriched for distinct DNA features, contributing to distinct phenotypes. To reveal HSB and EBR roles in avian evolution, we performed a sequence-based comparison of 21 avian and 5 outgroup species using recently sequenced genomes across the avian family tree and a newly-developed algorithm. We identified EBRs and HSBs in ancestral bird, archosaurian (bird, crocodile, and dinosaur), and reptile chromosomes. Genes involved in the regulation of gene expression and biosynthetic processes were preferably located in HSBs, including for example, avian-specific HSBs enriched for genes involved in limb development. Within birds, some lineage-specific EBRs rearranged genes were related to distinct phenotypes, such as forebrain development in parrots. Our findings provide novel evolutionary insights into genome evolution in birds, particularly on how chromosome rearrangements likely contributed to the formation of novel phenotypes.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1093/gbe/evw166
Uncontrolled keywords: chromosome rearrangements; birds; reptiles; genome evolution; comparative genomics
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Depositing User: Susan Davies
Date Deposited: 30 Aug 2016 11:14 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 18:14 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/57024 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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