Gene balance hypothesis: Connecting issues of dosage sensitivity across biological disciplines

Abstract

We summarize, in this review, the evidence that genomic balance influences gene expression, quantitative traits, dosage compensation, aneuploid syndromes, population dynamics of copy number variants and differential evolutionary fate of genes after partial or whole-genome duplication. Gene balance effects are hypothesized to result from stoichiometric differences among members of macromolecular complexes, the interactome, and signaling pathways. The implications of gene balance are discussed.