title: Coding repeats and evolutionary "agility".
abstract: The rapid generation of new shapes observed in the living world is the result of genetic variation, especially in "morphological" developmental genes. Many of these genes contain coding tandem repeats. Fondon and Garner have shown that expansions and contractions of these repeats are associated with the great diversity of morphologies observed in the domestic dog, Canis familiaris. In particular, they found that the repeat variations in two genes were significantly associated with changes in limb and skull morphology. These results open the possibility that such a mechanism contributes to the diversity of life.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U709 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caburet
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cocquet
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaiman
authors.forename: Reiner A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Veitia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors