Gene Regulation in Evolution: A History

Abstract

An otherwise interesting and informative News Focus story by E. Pennisi, “Deciphering the genetics of evolution” (8 August, p. [760][1]), was marred by a flawed recounting of the key scientists responsible for advancing the importance of gene regulation in evolutionary change. In particular, the statement “Early suggestions that gene regulation could be important to evolution came in the 1970s. …” is incorrect. As early as the 1940s, developmental geneticists such as C. H. Waddington and Richard Goldschmidt began to explore the possible involvement of gene regulation in evolution ([1][2]). Then, in 1969, Roy J. Britten and Eric H. Davidson published a detailed and highly influential paper in Science ([2][3]), “Gene regulation for higher cells: A theory,” which clearly and explicitly argued for the importance of gene regulation in evolution. For example, on p. 356 of this paper, Britten and Davidson concluded, “At higher grades of organization, evolution might indeed be considered principally in terms of changes in the [gene] regulatory systems.” Britten and Davidson's theory of gene regulation was inspired in large part by Britten's groundbreaking work in the 1960s on DNA reassociation kinetics, which led him to discover that repetitive sequences are ubiquitous in eukaryotic genomes. Some of these repetitive sequences were later shown to influence gene regulation, and they often consist of transposons and transposon remnants that are able to cause changes in gene regulation. Because of these developments, some feel that Britten should have shared the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Barbara McClintock for the discovery of mobile genetic elements. 1. 1.[↵][4] 1. D. J. Depew, 2. B. H. Weber , Darwinism Evolving: Systems Dynamics and the Genealogy of Natural Selection (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995), p. 414, 416. 2. 2.[↵][5] 1. R. J. Britten, 2. E. H. Davidson , Science 165, 349 (1969). [OpenUrl][6][FREE Full Text][7] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.321.5890.760 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [5]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2. in text [6]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DScience%26rft.stitle%253DScience%26rft.issn%253D0036-8075%26rft.aulast%253DBritten%26rft.auinit1%253DR.%2BJ.%26rft.volume%253D165%26rft.issue%253D3891%26rft.spage%253D349%26rft.epage%253D357%26rft.atitle%253DGene%2BRegulation%2Bfor%2BHigher%2BCells%253A%2BA%2BTheory%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1126%252Fscience.165.3891.349%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F5789433%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [7]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6MzoiUERGIjtzOjExOiJqb3VybmFsQ29kZSI7czozOiJzY2kiO3M6NToicmVzaWQiO3M6MTI6IjE2NS8zODkxLzM0OSI7czo0OiJhdG9tIjtzOjIzOiIvc2NpLzMyMi81OTA4LzE2MzMuYXRvbSI7fXM6ODoiZnJhZ21lbnQiO3M6MDoiIjt9