Decelerated genome evolution in modern vertebrates revealed by analysis of multiple lancelet genomes

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6896
• Publication Date: 2014-12-19T09:57:56Z
• Authors: Shengfeng Huang; Zelin Chen; Xinyu Yan; Ting Yu; Guangrui Huang; Qingyu Yan; Pierre Antoine Po...; Hongchen Zhao; Jie Li; Ping Yang; Ruihua Wang; Rui Li; Xin Tao; Ting Deng; Yiquan Wang; Guang Li; Qiujin Zhang; Sisi Zhou; Leiming You; Shaochun Yuan; Yonggui Fu; Fenfang Wu; Meiling Dong; Shangwu Chen; Anlong Xu
• Keywords: Chordate

Abstract Vertebrates diverged from other chordates ~500 Myr ago and experienced successful innovations adaptations, but the genomic basis underlying vertebrate origins are not fully understood. Here we suggest, through comparison with multiple lancelet (amphioxus) genomes, that ancient vertebrates high rates of protein evolution, genome rearrangement domain shuffling these greatly slowed down after divergence jawed jawless vertebrates. Compared lancelets, modern retain, at least relatively, less diversity, fewer nucleotide polymorphisms, combinations conserved non-coding elements (CNE). Modern also lost substantial transposable element (TE) whereas lancelets preserve TE diversity includes even long-sought RAG transposon. Lancelets exhibit rapid gene turnover, pervasive transcription, fastest exon in metazoans methylation observed invertebrates. These new sequences provide insights into chordate ancestral state evolution.