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A novel gene family controls species-specific morphological traits in Hydra.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the molecular events that underlie the evolution of morphological diversity is a major challenge in biology. Here, to identify genes whose expression correlates with species-specific morphologies, we compared transcriptomes of two closely related Hydra species. We find that species-specific differences in tentacle formation correlate with expression of a taxonomically restricted gene encoding a small secreted protein. We show that gain of function induces changes in morphology that mirror the phenotypic differences observed between species. These results suggest that "novel" genes may be involved in the generation of species-specific morphological traits.

SUBMITTER: Khalturin K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2586386 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A novel gene family controls species-specific morphological traits in Hydra.

Khalturin Konstantin K Anton-Erxleben Friederike F Sassmann Sylvia S Wittlieb Jörg J Hemmrich Georg G Bosch Thomas C G TC

PLoS biology 20081101 11

Understanding the molecular events that underlie the evolution of morphological diversity is a major challenge in biology. Here, to identify genes whose expression correlates with species-specific morphologies, we compared transcriptomes of two closely related Hydra species. We find that species-specific differences in tentacle formation correlate with expression of a taxonomically restricted gene encoding a small secreted protein. We show that gain of function induces changes in morphology that ...[more]

PMID: 19018660

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Project description:Species from Entoloma subg. Entoloma are commonly recorded from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and, according to literature, most of them have at least Nearctic-Palearctic distributions. However, these records are based on morphological analysis, and studies relating morphology, molecular data and geographical distribution have not been reported. In this study, we used phylogenetic species recognition criteria through gene genealogical concordance (based on nuclear ITS, LSU, rpb2 and mitochondrial SSU) to answer specific questions considering species limits in Entoloma subg. Entoloma and their geographic distribution in Europe, North America and Australasia. The studied morphotaxa belong to sect. Entoloma, namely species like the notorious poisonous E. sinuatum (E. lividum auct.), E. prunuloides (type-species of sect. Entoloma), E. nitidum and the red-listed E. bloxamii. With a few exceptions, our results reveal strong phylogeographical partitions that were previously not known. For example, no collection from Australasia proved to be conspecific with the Northern Hemisphere specimens. Almost all North American collections represent distinct and sister taxa to the European ones. And even within Europe, new lineages were uncovered for the red-listed E. bloxamii, which were previously unknown due to a broad morphological species concept. Our results clearly demonstrate the power of the phylogenetic species concept to reveal evolutionary units, to redefine the morphological limits of the species addressed and to provide insights into the evolutionary history of key morphological characters for Entoloma systematics. New taxa are described, and new combinations are made, including E. fumosobrunneum, E. pseudoprunuloides, E. ochreoprunuloides and E. caesiolamellatum. Epitypes are selected for E. prunuloides and E. bloxamii. In addition, complete descriptions are given of some other taxa used in this study for which modern descriptions are lacking, viz. E. subsinuatum, E. whiteae, E. flavifolium, E. luridum, E. bloxamii, E. madidum, E. corneri, E. callidermum and E. coeruleoviride.

Dataset Information

A novel gene family controls species-specific morphological traits in Hydra.

Publications

A novel gene family controls species-specific morphological traits in Hydra.

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