Computational Molecular Biology 2024, Vol.14, No.5, 202-210 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/cmb 202 Invited Review Open Access Unveiling the Patterns and Impact of New Gene Recruitment in Development and Evolution Kaiwen Liang Hainan Provincial Key Lab for Crop Molecular Breeding, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: kaiwen.liang@hitar.org Computational Molecular Biology, 2024, Vol.14, No.5 doi: 10.5376/cmb.2024.14.0023 Received: 01 Aug., 2024 Accepted: 10 Sep., 2024 Published: 10 Oct., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Liang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Liang K.W., 2024, Unveiling the patterns and impact of new gene recruitment in development and evolution, Computational Molecular Biology, 14(5): 202-210 (doi: 10.5376/cmb.2024.14.0023) Abstract This study explores the critical role of new gene emergence in driving evolutionary innovation and biodiversity. The research reviews various mechanisms of new gene origin, such as gene duplication, de novo gene emergence from noncoding sequences, and the co-option of genomic elements. It focuses on how these genes are recruited into developmental pathways, leading to phenotypic changes and the evolution of complex traits, including brain development and reproductive behaviors. Using comparative genomics, studies of gene regulatory networks (GRNs), and high-throughput sequencing technologies to track gene function, the results show that new genes play a significant role in developmental innovation, adaptive evolution, and environmental adaptation. The study emphasizes the importance of new gene recruitment in understanding the dynamics of genetic networks and its broader implications for evolutionary biology. It suggests improving methods for gene identification and functional characterization, while expanding research to non-model organisms. Keywords New gene recruitment; Gene duplication; Phenotypic evolution; Gene regulatory networks; Adaptive evolution 1 Introduction In molecular biology, “recruitment” typically refers to guiding specific molecules or factors to a particular location or complex to perform their function. For example, transcription factors bind to DNA and initiate gene expression by recruiting polymerase and other associated factors. Thus, “new gene recruitment” can be understood as the introduction or integration of new genes into existing biological processes or pathways. The emergence of new genes is a fundamental driver of evolutionary innovation and diversity. New genes contribute significantly to the adaptive evolution of organisms by introducing novel functions that can lead to phenotypic changes. These genes can originate through various mechanisms, including gene duplication, de novo origination from noncoding sequences, and the co-option of genomic parasites (Andersson et al., 2015). The integration of new genes into existing genetic networks can result in the development of essential functions and the evolution of complex traits, such as brain development and reproductive behaviors (Ranz and Parsch, 2012). The rapid evolution and indispensable roles of new genes underscore their importance in shaping the genetic and phenotypic landscape of species (Ding et al., 2012). Developmental recruitment refers to the process by which new genes are integrated into the developmental pathways of organisms, often leading to the formation and diversification of novel traits. This process can involve the co-option of conserved genes into new developmental contexts, resulting in the evolution of lineage-specific traits (Xia et al., 2020). The recruitment of genes into the genetic circuitry responsible for butterfly eyespot formation demonstrates how conserved genes can be repurposed to create new morphological features. Similarly, the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in flowering plants illustrates how preexisting genes can be repeatedly recruited to perform new functions in response to environmental pressures. Understanding the mechanisms and evolutionary history of gene recruitment provides insights into the dynamic nature of genetic networks and their role in developmental innovation. This study aims to highlight the mechanisms driving genetic and phenotypic diversity by investigating the origin, integration, and functional roles of new genes. This study will explore how new genes integrate into existing
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