Multiple regulatory changes contribute to the evolution of the Caenorhabditis lin-48 ovo gene

  1. Xiaodong Wang and
  2. Helen M. Chamberlin1
  1. Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA

Abstract

Recent work points to the importance of changes in gene expression patterns in species-specific differences. Here, we investigate the evolution of the nematode lin-48 ovo gene. lin-48 is expressed in several cells in both Caenorhabditis elegans andCaenorhabditis briggsae, but acts in the excretory duct cell only in C. elegans. We find the differences result both from alterations in the cis-regulatory sequences and in proteins that mediate lin-48 expression. One factor that contributes to the species differences is the bZip protein CES-2. Our results indicate the accumulation of several regulatory changes affecting one gene can contribute to evolutionary change.

Keywords

Footnotes

  • 1 Corresponding author.

  • E-MAIL chamberlin.27{at}osu.edu; FAX (614) 292-4466

  • Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.996302.

    • Received April 4, 2002.
    • Accepted July 25, 2002.
| Table of Contents

G&D Most Read

View all ...

Life Science Alliance