Selection#
What's the mechanism for macro-evolutionary changes?#
Macro-evolution#
Introns#
Exons#
Splicing enzymes#
Non-coding DNA#
Transcription factors#
Environmental regulation of when genes are activate
Change the context that proteins function in, when genes are expressing: if "x" is happening outside a cell, then activate this gene
Promoters#
Repressors#
Access of transcription factors to DNA#
Permanently change whether transcription factors can act
Chromatids
Examples#
Splicing enzyme mutations#
Imagine you have a gene coded for by 3 exons A B C, and messenger RNA that includes all of them + the introns.
A splicing enzyme comes along and removes the introns and exons, forming the mature protein.
There's an exponential increase in the # of TFs you need to take advantage of all the possible combinations of networks of gene expression.
Little changes in genes that code for TFs, splicing enzymes, promoters, -> big consequences
Transposons - jumping genes#
Transposable genetic elements also brings up the possibility of moving around parts of genes, not just regulatory elements, but how would you do that?
Exons - for example, steriod hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, work like this:
Access of transcription factors to DNA
Selection