Fish Lateral Line Innovation: Insights into the Evolutionary Genomic Dynamics of a Unique Mechanosensory Organ

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Siby Philip (Author) Other; Joao Paulo Machado (Author) Other; Emanuel Maldonado (Author) Other; Vitor Vasconcelos (Author) FCUP; Stephen J O'Brien (Author) Other; Warren E Johnson (Author) Other; Agostinho Antunes (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Molecular Biology and Evolution

Vol. 29

Pages: 3887-3898

ISSN: 0737-4038

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 11 Citations

Scopus - 11 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-33A

DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss194

Abstract (EN): The mechanosensory lateral line, found only in fishes and amphibians, is an important sense organ associated with aquatic life. Lateral line patterns differ among teleost, the most diverse vertebrate taxa, hypothetically in response to selective pressures from different aquatic habitats. In this article, we conduct evolutionary genomic analyses of 34 genes associated with lateral line system development in teleosts to elucidate the significance of contrasting evolutionary rates and changes in the protein coding sequences. We find that duplicated copies of these genes are preferentially retained in the teleost genomes and that episodic events of positive selection have occurred in 22 of the 30 postduplication branches. In general, teleost genes evolved at a faster rate relative to their tetrapod counterparts, and the mutation rates of 26 of the 34 genes differed among teleosts and tetrapods. We conclude that following whole genome duplication, evolutionary rates and episodic events of positive selection on the lateral line system development genes might have been one of the factors favoring the subsequent adaptive radiation of teleosts into diverse habitats. These results provide the foundation for further detailed explorations into lateral line system genes and the evolution of diverse phenotypes and adaptations.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12