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Jumping genes: Genomic ballast or powerhouse of biological diversification
Author(s) -
Choudhury Rimjhim Roy,
Parisod Christian
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.14247
Subject(s) - biology , genome , evolutionary biology , reproductive isolation , genomics , human evolutionary genetics , genetic algorithm , genetic variation , genome evolution , adaptation (eye) , evolutionary dynamics , comparative genomics , gene , genetics , population , demography , sociology , neuroscience
Studying hybridization has the potential to elucidate challenging questions in evolutionary biology such as the nature of adaptive genetic variation and reproductive isolation. A growing body of work highlights that the merging of divergent genomes goes beyond the reshuffling of standing variation from related species and promotes mutations (Abbott et al., [Abbott, R., 2013]). However, to what extent such genome instability generates evolutionary significant variation remains largely elusive. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Dennenmoser et al. ([Dennenmoser, S., 2017]) report considerable dynamics of transposable elements ( TE s) in a recent invasive fish species of hybrid origin ( Cottus ; Figure [Figure 1. Sculpins (here Cottus gobio) typically live and reproduce in ...]). It adds to the recent examples from plants to support TE ‐specific genome variation following hybridization. Insights from early, as well as established, hybrids are largely coherent with increased TE activity, and this fish system thus represents an inspiring opportunity to further address the possible association between genome dynamics and “rapid evolution of hybrid species.” This work based on genome (re)sequencing contrasts with prior transcriptomics or PCR ‐based studies of TE s and illustrates how unprecedented amount of information promises a better understanding of the multiple patterns of variation across eukaryotic genomes; provided that we get the better of methodological advances. As discussed here, unbiased assessment of TE variation from genome surveys indeed remains a challenge precluding firm conclusions to be reached about the evolutionary significance of TE s. Despite methodological and conceptual developments that appear necessary to unambiguously uncover the unexplored iceberg below the known tip, the role of coding genes vs. TE s in promoting adaptation and speciation might be clarified in a not so remote future.