Publication Date: 2008 Jan 29 PMID: 18227810
Authors: Leulier, F. - Lemaitre, B.
Journal: Nat Rev Genet

The Toll receptor was initially identified in Drosophila melanogaster for its role in embryonic development. Subsequently, D. melanogaster Toll and mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been recognized as key regulators of immune responses. After ten years of intense research on TLRs and the recent accumulation of genomic and functional data in diverse organisms, we review the distribution and functions of TLRs in the animal kingdom. We provide an evolutionary perspective on TLRs, which sheds light on their origin at the dawn of animal evolution and suggests that different TLRs might have been co-opted independently during animal evolution to mediate analogous immune functions.

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Publication Date: 2008 Jan PMID: 18087260
Authors: Brent, M. R.
Journal: Nat Rev Genet

The sequencing of large, complex genomes has become routine, but understanding how sequences relate to biological function is less straightforward. Although much attention is focused on how to annotate genomic features such as developmental enhancers and non-coding RNAs, there is still no higher eukaryote for which we know the correct exon-intron structure of at least one ORF for each gene. Despite this uncomfortable truth, genome annotation has made remarkable progress since the first drafts of the human genome were analysed. By combining several computational and experimental methods, we are now closer to producing complete and accurate gene catalogues than ever before.

MeSH Categories: *Automation, Exons, *Genome, Introns, Open Reading Frames, RNA, Untranslated, Sequence Analysis, DNA

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Publication Date: 2008 Jan PMID: 18071321
Authors: High, F. A. - Epstein, J. A.
Journal: Nat Rev Genet

Notch receptors and their cognate ligands transduce crucial signals between cells in various tissues, and have been conserved across millions of years of evolution. Mutations in Notch signalling components result in congenital heart defects in humans and mice, demonstrating an essential role for Notch in cardiovascular development. The results of recent experiments implicate this signalling pathway in many stages of heart development, and provide mechanistic insight into the vital functions of Notch in the aetiology of several common forms of paediatric and adult cardiac disease.

MeSH Categories: Animals, Heart/*embryology/growth & development, Heart Diseases/*physiopathology, Humans, Receptors, Notch/metabolism/*physiology, Signal Transduction

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Publication Date: 2008 Jan PMID: 18071322
Authors: Komili, S. - Silver, P. A.
Journal: Nat Rev Genet

Genome-scale analyses have allowed us to progress beyond studying gene expression at the level of individual components of a given process by providing global information about functional connections between genes, mRNAs and their regulatory proteins. Such analyses have greatly increased our understanding of the interplay between different events in gene regulation and have highlighted previously unappreciated functional connections, including coupling between nuclear and cytoplasmic processes. Genome-wide approaches have also revealed extensive coordination within regulatory levels, such as the organization of transcription factors into regulatory motifs. Overall, these studies enhance our understanding of how the many components of the eukaryotic cell function as a system to allow both coordination and versatility in gene expression.

MeSH Categories: *Gene Expression, RNA, Messenger/genetics, *Systems Biology

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Publication Date: 2008 Jan PMID: 18059367
Authors: Pigliucci, M.
Journal: Nat Rev Genet

In recent years, biologists have increasingly been asking whether the ability to evolve--the evolvability--of biological systems, itself evolves, and whether this phenomenon is the result of natural selection or a by-product of other evolutionary processes. The concept of evolvability, and the increasing theoretical and empirical literature that refers to it, may constitute one of several pillars on which an extended evolutionary synthesis will take shape during the next few years, although much work remains to be done on how evolvability comes about.

MeSH Categories: *Evolution, *Models, Theoretical

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