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First published online November 17, 2003

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Genes and the evolution of complexity

Differences in the protein repertoires between two organisms should reflect differences in their anatomical and physiological complexities. On p. 6317, Vogel et al. analyse the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) genes, which encode proteins involved in cell-cell recognition and communication, in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. They identify 142 IgSF proteins in the fly and 80 in the worm, and show that three-quarters of the fly's IgSF repertoire and one half of the worm's repertoire have emerged since their evolutionary divergence. The fly genome encodes fewer proteins in total than that of the worm, and the researchers suggest that the expansion of particular protein families, including the immunoglobulin superfamily, has contributed to the evolution of the more complex physiology of the fly.

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Related articles in Development:

The immunoglobulin superfamily in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans and the evolution of complexity

Christine Vogel, Sarah A. Teichmann, and Cyrus Chothia
Development 2003 130: 6317-6328. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?