The evolution of HOM‐C homeoboxes in the Dipteran family Drosophilidae

Abstract

Forty-five new Homeotic Complex (HOM-C) homeobox sequences from six species of Drosophilidae (Drosophila heteroneura, D. adiastola, Zaprionus vittiger, Chymomyza amoena, Scaptodrosophila pattersoni and Hirtodrosophila pictiventris) were obtained using a PCR-cloning method. These new homeoboxes are from the labial, proboscipedia, Deformed, Sex combs reduced, fushi tarazu, Antennapedia, Ultrabithorax, abdominal-A and Abdominal-B genes. Phylogenetic signal in the homeobox sequences was assessed and several aspects of sequence evolution were examined. In particular, codon bias was examined and found to exist between the drosophilid species examined here and Anopheles gambiae outgroup sequences. In addition, different patterns of codon bias were detected in homeoboxes interrupted with introns when compared to homeoboxes that are uninterrupted.

Using Phylogenomic Patterns and Gene Ontology to Identify Proteins of Importance in Plant Evolution

“…The integration of evolution and genomics has been advocated for many years as a fruitful and convenient feedback relationship (Eisen 1998; Eisen and Wu 2002; Mitchell-Olds and Clauss 2002; DeSalle et al 2003). Phylogenomics, originally defined as a combination of phylogenetic tree construction, integration of experimental data and differentiation between orthologs and paralogs, has been proposed to improve predictions of gene function (Eisen 1998; Eisen and Fraser 2003; Sjölander 2004; Brown and Sjolander 2006).…”