Scientists from the University of Toronto found that, despite the fact that the body of the coelacanth has remained virtually unchanged,
Initially, the authors of the work tried to find outthe history of the emergence of the human gene CGGBP1, mutations in which lead to the development of certain forms of intellectual development delays. Canadian molecular biologists managed to find single copies of CGGBP1 in the genomes of some species of lampreys and ray-finned fish, as well as 62 similar DNA sections in the genome of coelacanths.
Later it became known that all 62 copiesCGGBP1 appeared in the genome of lobe-finned fish relatively recently, after the extinction of dinosaurs, and they appeared at different times and now perform different functions.
The authors believe that dozens of new genes passed to ancient fish from other species as a result of a horizontal gene transfer process.
Our results provide a clear examplethe phenomenon of transposons contributing to the host genome. We do not know what function these 62 genes serve, but many of them encode DNA-binding proteins and likely play a role in the regulation of genes in which even minor changes are important in evolution.
Tim Hughes, Professor of Molecular Genetics, Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto
Further study of the genomes of two species of these fish,biologists hope they will help them uncover the history of the appearance of copies of CGGBP1 and understand how migrations of transposons could influence the evolution of our immediate ancestors.
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