1] Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 1101 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. [2] Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Nat Rev Genet. 2013 Sep;14(9):645-60. doi: 10.1038/nrg3521.
During the course of evolution, genomes acquire novel genetic elements as sources of functional and phenotypic diversity, including new genes that originated in recent evolution. In the past few years, substantial progress has been made in understanding the evolution and phenotypic effects of new genes. In particular, an emerging picture is that new genes, despite being present in the genomes of only a subset of species, can rapidly evolve indispensable roles in fundamental biological processes, including development, reproduction, brain function and behaviour. The molecular underpinnings of how new genes can develop these roles are starting to be characterized. These recent discoveries yield fresh insights into our broad understanding of biological diversity at refined resolution.
在进化过程中，基因组会获得新的遗传元素，作为功能和表型多样性的来源，包括起源于最近进化的新基因。在过去的几年中，人们在理解新基因的进化和表型效应方面取得了重大进展。特别是，一个新出现的观点是，尽管新基因只存在于部分物种的基因组中，但它们可以在包括发育、繁殖、大脑功能和行为在内的基本生物过程中迅速进化出不可或缺的作用。新基因如何发展这些作用的分子基础开始被描绘出来。这些新发现为我们更深入地了解生物多样性提供了新的视角。
