Open AccessOne Hundred Years of Gene Balance: How Stoichiometric Issues Affect Gene Expression, Genome Evolution, and Quantitative Traits
Author(s) -
James A. Birchler,
Reiner A. Veitia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cytogenetic and genome research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.571
H-Index - 88
ISSN - 1424-8581
DOI - 10.1159/000519592
Subject(s) - biology , gene , genetics , genome , drosophila melanogaster , chromosome , dosage compensation , quantitative trait locus , quantitative genetics , evolutionary biology , karyotype , gene expression , phenotype , genetic algorithm , genetic variation
A century ago experiments with the flowering plant Datura stramonium and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster revealed that adding an extra chromosome to a karyotype was much more detrimental than adding a whole set of chromosomes. This phenomenon was referred to as gene balance and has been recapitulated across eukaryotic species. Here, we retrace some developments in this field. Molecular studies suggest that the basis of balance involves stoichiometric relationships of multi-component interactions. This concept has implication for the mechanisms controlling gene expression, genome evolution, sex chromosome evolution/dosage compensation, speciation mechanisms, and the underlying genetics of quantitative traits.