Independent amylase gene copy number bursts correlate with dietary preferences in mammals
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: The amylase gene ( AMY ), which codes for a starch-digesting enzyme in animals, underwent several gene copy number gains in humans 1 , dogs 2 , and mice 3 , presumably along with increased starch consumption during the evolution of these species. Here we present evidence for additional AMY copy number expansions in several mammalian species, most of which also consume starch-rich diets. We also show that these independent AMY copy number gains are often accompanied by a gain in enzymatic activity of amylase in saliva. We used multi-species coalescent modeling to provide further evidence that these recurrent AMY gene copy number expansions were adaptive. Our findings underscore the overall importance of gene copy number amplification as a flexible and fast adaptive mechanism in evolution that can independently occur in different branches of the phylogeny.
Source: eLife
DOI: 10.7554/elife.44628
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
Funders: National Science Foundation, Weber State University, State University of New York, National Institutes of Health, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of Health
Awards: G1214224873, G159247434, G278379982, The adaptive variation of human skin: A comprehensive anthropological genetics examination of epidermal differentiation complex, Microbial Recognition of Sialic Acid Diversity in the Oral Cavity, G3251738510, G3298988077, G3879473163, G3974280485, G409192364, LSCBR: Continued Support of the Duke Lemur Center for the Study of Primate Biology and History, HARNESSING THE ORAL MICROBIOME TO CREATE NOVEL GLYCAN-BINDING PROBES, MINING THE ORAL MICROBIOME FOR NOVEL GLYCAN-BINDING MOLECULES, The Southwest National Primate Research Center, Emory National Primate Research Center
OpenAlex ID: W2944958548