Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule
Abstract Species from diverse animal lineages have conserved groups of orthologous genes together on the same chromosome for over half a billion years since the last common ancestor of bilaterians. Although notable exceptions exist, the stability of chromosome-scale gene linkages has been proposed t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Genome Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03732-1 |
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| author | Thomas D. Lewin Isabel Jiah-Yih Liao Yi-Jyun Luo |
| author_facet | Thomas D. Lewin Isabel Jiah-Yih Liao Yi-Jyun Luo |
| author_sort | Thomas D. Lewin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Species from diverse animal lineages have conserved groups of orthologous genes together on the same chromosome for over half a billion years since the last common ancestor of bilaterians. Although notable exceptions exist, the stability of chromosome-scale gene linkages has been proposed to be the norm among animals. Here we test this hypothesis across species from 52 bilaterian classes representing 15 different phyla. Contrary to expectations, we find that cases of genome structure conservation are rare, taxonomically restricted and unrepresentative of the general state of bilaterian genomes. Genome restructuring correlates with increased rates of protein sequence evolution and may be an underappreciated factor driving animal adaptation and diversification. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-98216167c19e4cb7845ff78d37705032 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1474-760X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genome Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-98216167c19e4cb7845ff78d377050322025-08-20T04:03:13ZengBMCGenome Biology1474-760X2025-08-0126111210.1186/s13059-025-03732-1Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the ruleThomas D. Lewin0Isabel Jiah-Yih Liao1Yi-Jyun Luo2Biodiversity Research Center, Academia SinicaBiodiversity Research Center, Academia SinicaBiodiversity Research Center, Academia SinicaAbstract Species from diverse animal lineages have conserved groups of orthologous genes together on the same chromosome for over half a billion years since the last common ancestor of bilaterians. Although notable exceptions exist, the stability of chromosome-scale gene linkages has been proposed to be the norm among animals. Here we test this hypothesis across species from 52 bilaterian classes representing 15 different phyla. Contrary to expectations, we find that cases of genome structure conservation are rare, taxonomically restricted and unrepresentative of the general state of bilaterian genomes. Genome restructuring correlates with increased rates of protein sequence evolution and may be an underappreciated factor driving animal adaptation and diversification.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03732-1Chromosome fissionGenome evolutionGenome rearrangementSynteny |
| spellingShingle | Thomas D. Lewin Isabel Jiah-Yih Liao Yi-Jyun Luo Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule Genome Biology Chromosome fission Genome evolution Genome rearrangement Synteny |
| title | Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule |
| title_full | Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule |
| title_fullStr | Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule |
| title_short | Conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception, not the rule |
| title_sort | conservation of bilaterian genome structure is the exception not the rule |
| topic | Chromosome fission Genome evolution Genome rearrangement Synteny |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-025-03732-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomasdlewin conservationofbilateriangenomestructureistheexceptionnottherule AT isabeljiahyihliao conservationofbilateriangenomestructureistheexceptionnottherule AT yijyunluo conservationofbilateriangenomestructureistheexceptionnottherule |