The discovery of a gene that regulates two segmentation mechanisms in spider embryos is fueling the ongoing debate about the evolution of this crucial developmental process.
Analysis of the endogenous function of deeply conserved neuropeptides in sea anemones sheds light on a primitive role of nervous systems in modulating developmental timing.
Fabien Duveau, Andrea Hodgins-Davis ... Patricia J Wittkopp
The impact of changing gene expression noise on fitness reveals beneficial or deleterious effects in a stable environment depending how close the average expression level is to the fitness optimum.
Leonora S Bittleston, Charles J Wolock ... Anne Pringle
Host characteristics drive the assembly of similar communities within the convergently evolved and geographically distant pitcher ecosystems of carnivorous pitcher plants.
An adaptive process of genetic homogenization in poxviruses facilitates the propagation of single nucleotide variation within gene copies and might favor the persistence of large gene copy arrays.
Marion A L Picard, Celine Cosseau ... Beatriz Vicoso
An analysis of gene dosage at the DNA, RNA and protein level yields new insights into the early stages of Z-chromosome dosage compensation in schistosome parasites.
Philipp Brand, Hugh M Robertson ... Brian R Johnson
The insect odorant receptor gene family evolved at the base of the class Insecta before the evolution of flight and perhaps as an adaptation to terrestriality, and was therefore an important evolutionary novelty for insects.
Andrew J Aman, Alexis N Fulbright, David M Parichy
Zebrafish scales depend on interactions among Wnt, Ectodysplasin and Hedgehog signaling pathways similar to those underlying feathers, teeth and hair follicles, suggesting a deep homology of ectodermal appendages in vertebrates.
