Twisting development, the birth of a potential new gene

28 de noviembre de 2022

Les invitamos a leer el artículo: "Twisting development, the birth of a potential new gene" del Dr. Stefan de Folter, Investigador de Cinvestav UGA-Langebio y de la Dra. Nayelli Marsch, Investigadora de Cinvestav Irapuato, junto con el Dr. Luis Herrera Estrella Investigador Emérito de Cinvestav UGA-Langebio y el Dr. Luis Delaye de Cinvestav Irapuato.

Autores: Nayelli Marsch-Martínez, J. Irepan Reyes-Olalde, Antonio Chalfun-Junior, Marian Bemer, Yolanda Durán-Medina, Juan Carlos Ochoa-Sánchez, Herenia Guerrero-Largo, Humberto Herrera-Ubaldo, Jurriaan Mes, Alejandra Chacón, Rocio Escobar-Guzmán, Andy Pereira, Luis Herrera-Estrella, Gerco C. Angenent, Luis Delaye and Stefan de Folter.

Felicitamos al estudiantado y profesorado que contribuyeron en esta investigación por su arduo trabajo.

Abstract: Evolution has long been considered to be a conservative process in which new genes arise from pre-existing genes through gene duplication, domain shuffling, horizontal transfer, overprinting, retrotransposition, etc. However, this view is changing as new genes originating from non-genic sequences are discovered in different organisms. Still, rather limited functional information is available. Here, we have identified TWISTED1 (TWT1), a possible de novo-originated protein-coding gene that modifies microtubule arrangement and causes helicoidal growth in Arabidopsis thaliana when its expression is increased. Interestingly, even though TWT1 is a likely recent gene, the lack of TWT1 function affects A. thaliana development. TWT1 seems to have originated from a non-genic sequence. If so, it would be one of the few examples to date of how during evolution de novo genes are integrated into developmental cellular and organismal processes.