新加坡国立大学Antónia Monteiro和Shen Tian共同合作，近期取得重要工作进展。他们研究提出，microRNA是经典演化热点基因座的效应因子。相关研究成果2024年12月6日在线发表于《科学》杂志上。

据介绍，在鳞翅目（蝴蝶和飞蛾）中，基因皮层周围的基因组区域是一个“热点”位点，在1亿年的演化过程中反复涉及产生种内黑色素翅膀颜色多态性。然而，该基因座内调节黑色素翅膀颜色的效应因子的身份仍然未知。

研究人员发现，该基因座内的四个候选蛋白质编码基因，包括皮质，都不是主要的效应因子。相反，microRNA（miRNA），mir-193是蝴蝶三个深度分化谱系的主要效应因子，其作用在果蝇中是保守的。在鳞翅目中，mir-193来源于一种巨大的初级长非编码RNA，它通过直接抑制多种色素沉着基因发挥作用。

总之，这一研究表明，miRNA可以驱动动物适应性演化的重复发生。

附：英文原文

Title: A microRNA is the effector gene of a classic evolutionary hotspot locus

Author: Shen Tian, Yoshimasa Asano, Tirtha Das Banerjee, Shinya Komata, Jocelyn Liang Qi Wee, Abigail Lamb, Yehan Wang, Suriya Narayanan Murugesan, Haruhiko Fujiwara, Kumiko Ui-Tei, Patricia J. Wittkopp, Antónia Monteiro

Issue&Volume: 2024-12-06

Abstract: In Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), the genomic region around the gene cortex is a “hotspot” locus, repeatedly implicated in generating intraspecific melanic wing color polymorphisms across 100 million years of evolution. However, the identity of the effector gene regulating melanic wing color within this locus remains unknown. We show that none of the four candidate protein-coding genes within this locus, including cortex, serve as major effectors. Instead, a microRNA (miRNA), mir-193, serves as the major effector across three deeply diverged lineages of butterflies, and its role is conserved in Drosophila. In Lepidoptera, mir-193 is derived from a gigantic primary long noncoding RNA, ivory, and it functions by directly repressing multiple pigmentation genes. We show that a miRNA can drive repeated instances of adaptive evolution in animals.

DOI: adp7899

Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp7899

来源：科学网  小柯机器人