Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review
Adaptive evolution is a process in which variation that confers an evolutionary advantage in a specific environmental context arises and is propagated through a population. When investigating this process, researchers have mainly focused on describing advantageous phenotypes or putative advantageous...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Genes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/14/2/416 |
| _version_ | 1797620799147868160 |
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| author | Francelly Martínez Sosa Małgorzata Pilot |
| author_facet | Francelly Martínez Sosa Małgorzata Pilot |
| author_sort | Francelly Martínez Sosa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Adaptive evolution is a process in which variation that confers an evolutionary advantage in a specific environmental context arises and is propagated through a population. When investigating this process, researchers have mainly focused on describing advantageous phenotypes or putative advantageous genotypes. A recent increase in molecular data accessibility and technological advances has allowed researchers to go beyond description and to make inferences about the mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution. In this systematic review, we discuss articles from 2016 to 2022 that investigated or reviewed the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution in vertebrates in response to environmental variation. Regulatory elements within the genome and regulatory proteins involved in either gene expression or cellular pathways have been shown to play key roles in adaptive evolution in response to most of the discussed environmental factors. Gene losses were suggested to be associated with an adaptive response in some contexts. Future adaptive evolution research could benefit from more investigations focused on noncoding regions of the genome, gene regulation mechanisms, and gene losses potentially yielding advantageous phenotypes. Investigating how novel advantageous genotypes are conserved could also contribute to our knowledge of adaptive evolution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:46:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-423eb33daab140f48cb76710db926b59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:46:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genes |
| spelling | doaj.art-423eb33daab140f48cb76710db926b592023-11-16T20:42:40ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252023-02-0114241610.3390/genes14020416Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic ReviewFrancelly Martínez Sosa0Małgorzata Pilot1Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 80-680 Gdańsk, PolandMuseum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 80-680 Gdańsk, PolandAdaptive evolution is a process in which variation that confers an evolutionary advantage in a specific environmental context arises and is propagated through a population. When investigating this process, researchers have mainly focused on describing advantageous phenotypes or putative advantageous genotypes. A recent increase in molecular data accessibility and technological advances has allowed researchers to go beyond description and to make inferences about the mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution. In this systematic review, we discuss articles from 2016 to 2022 that investigated or reviewed the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution in vertebrates in response to environmental variation. Regulatory elements within the genome and regulatory proteins involved in either gene expression or cellular pathways have been shown to play key roles in adaptive evolution in response to most of the discussed environmental factors. Gene losses were suggested to be associated with an adaptive response in some contexts. Future adaptive evolution research could benefit from more investigations focused on noncoding regions of the genome, gene regulation mechanisms, and gene losses potentially yielding advantageous phenotypes. Investigating how novel advantageous genotypes are conserved could also contribute to our knowledge of adaptive evolution.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/14/2/416adaptive evolutionvertebratesregulatory mechanismsenvironmental adaptationsgene loss |
| spellingShingle | Francelly Martínez Sosa Małgorzata Pilot Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review Genes adaptive evolution vertebrates regulatory mechanisms environmental adaptations gene loss |
| title | Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review |
| title_full | Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review |
| title_fullStr | Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review |
| title_short | Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Vertebrate Adaptive Evolution: A Systematic Review |
| title_sort | molecular mechanisms underlying vertebrate adaptive evolution a systematic review |
| topic | adaptive evolution vertebrates regulatory mechanisms environmental adaptations gene loss |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/14/2/416 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT francellymartinezsosa molecularmechanismsunderlyingvertebrateadaptiveevolutionasystematicreview AT małgorzatapilot molecularmechanismsunderlyingvertebrateadaptiveevolutionasystematicreview |