Venom Evolution: Gene Loss Shapes Phenotypic Adaptation.
Snake venoms are variable protein mixtures with a multitude of bioactivities. New work shows, surprisingly, that it is the loss of toxin-encoding genes that strongly influences venom function in rattlesnakes, highlighting how gene loss can underpin adaptive phenotypic change.
Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Parasitology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK. Electronic address: nicholas.casewell@lstmed.ac.uk.
Nicholas R
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Casewell
D000064:Acclimatization; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D017839:Crotalus; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D010641:Phenotype; D014688:Venoms
D014688:Venoms