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Adaptive evolution of non-coding DNA in Drosophila

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  • Peter Andolfatto

    (University of California San Diego)

Abstract

The sound of silent DNA Time to junk the term ‘junk DNA’, or to reserve it for DNA of proven uselessness. Geneticists favour the less judgmental term ‘non-coding DNA’ for those parts of the genome not translated into protein, and there is growing evidence that it is important in disease, development and evolution. Despite this, little is known about the evolutionary forces acting on it. Now a new population genetics approach shows that most non-coding DNA in Drosophila melanogaster is subject to adaptive evolution and selection. The big surprise comes from a comparison between Drosophila species: a significant fraction of the divergence between species in non-coding DNA is adaptive, driven by positive selection. In fact, the number of beneficial substitutions in non-coding DNA is an order of magnitude larger than in proteins. Non-coding DNA includes ‘cis-acting’ regulatory sequences, so this finding may reflect the immense importance of regulatory evolution, previously suggested on intuitive grounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Andolfatto, 2005. "Adaptive evolution of non-coding DNA in Drosophila," Nature, Nature, vol. 437(7062), pages 1149-1152, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:437:y:2005:i:7062:d:10.1038_nature04107
    DOI: 10.1038/nature04107
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    Cited by:

    1. Sella, Guy, 2009. "An exact steady state solution of Fisher’s geometric model and other models," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 30-34.
    2. Kirsten E Eilertson & James G Booth & Carlos D Bustamante, 2012. "SnIPRE: Selection Inference Using a Poisson Random Effects Model," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Piaopiao Chen & Jianzhi Zhang, 2024. "The loci of environmental adaptation in a model eukaryote," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.

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