Spliceosomal Intron Insertions in Genome Compacted Ray-Finned Fishes as Evident from Phylogeny of MC Receptors, Also Supported by a Few Other GPCRs
2011

Intron Insertions in Fish Genes

publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Kumar Abhishek, Bhandari Anita, Sinha Rahul, Goyal Pankaj, Grapputo Alessandro

Primary Institution: Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy

Hypothesis

The study investigates the occurrence of spliceosomal intron insertions in melanocortin receptors of ray-finned fishes and their evolutionary implications.

Conclusion

The study found that novel intron insertions in MC2R and MC5R genes are present only in certain ray-finned fishes that underwent genome compaction.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study compiled an extended list of MC receptors from different vertebrate genomes.
  • It was found that the MC2R and MC5R genes from certain ray-finned fishes have novel intron insertions.
  • These introns are absent in zebrafish and tetrapods, suggesting a unique evolutionary path.

Takeaway

Some fish have extra pieces of DNA called introns in their genes, which help scientists understand how these fish evolved differently from others.

Methodology

The researchers compiled a list of MC receptors from various vertebrate genomes and analyzed their gene structures and phylogenetic relationships.

Limitations

The study is limited to a small number of fish species and may not represent all ray-finned fishes.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0022046

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