RESULTS: By employing genomic analysis of coding and promoter regions within genes that function in transposon silencing in Drosophila, we demonstrate that the promoters of germ cell-specific piRNA factors are undergoing rapid evolution. Our findings indicate that rapid promoter evolution is a common trait among piRNA factors engaged in germline silencing across insect species, potentially contributing to gene expression divergence in closely related taxa. Furthermore, we observe that the promoters of genes exclusively expressed in germ cells generally exhibit rapid evolution, with some divergence in gene expression.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that increased germline promoter evolution, in partnership with other factors, could contribute to transposon silencing and evolution of species through differential expression of genes driven by invading transposons.
结果:通过对果蝇在转座子沉默中起作用的基因中的编码和启动子区域进行基因组分析,我们证明生殖细胞特异性piRNA因子的启动子正在经历快速进化。我们的发现表明,快速启动子进化是参与跨昆虫物种种系沉默的piRNA因子的共同特征。可能导致密切相关的分类群的基因表达差异。此外,我们观察到只在生殖细胞中表达的基因的启动子通常表现出快速进化,基因表达有一定差异。
结论:我们的结果表明,种系启动子进化增加,与其他因素合作,可以通过入侵转座子驱动的基因差异表达来促进转座子沉默和物种进化。