BioEssays · 1992 · 207 citations · 11 references
Life SciencesDevelopmental BiologyGeneticsDevelopmental GeneticsEvolutionary Developmental BiologyMolecular EvolutionEvolutionEvolutionary Developmental GeneticsGene LossGene Family Functional RedundancyGene Overlap EvolutionGenetic Code RedundancyGenetic RedundancyGenetic Redundancy Analysis
There is increasing evidence for widespread functionally redundant genetic pathways in development, yet their significance and evolutionary origins remain debated. The author argues that redundancy of gene actions may be a necessary requirement for the development and evolution of complex life forms. Development can be viewed as a process that transmits information from the egg to the adult, and because this transmission is error‑prone, redundancies in the message safeguard it. Molecular examples of well‑analysed redundant processes indicate that such redundancies are best understood as overlaps between different gene functions.
There is increasing evidence for the wide-spread existence of functionally redundant genetic pathways in developmental processes. However, both their significance and manner of evolution are still matters of debate. I will argue here that redundancy of gene actions may, in fact, be a necessary requirement for the development and evolution of complex life forms. One can view development as a process that transmits information from the egg to the adult organism. Transmission of information is, however, always an error-prone process, which can only be safeguarded by including redundancies in the message. Molecular examples for well analysed redundant processes indicate that redundancies may best be understood within a conceptual framework of overlaps between different gene functions.
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Function of torso in determining the terminal anlagen of the Drosophila embryo
Martin Klingler, Miklós Erdélyi, János Szabad et al. · Nature · 1988 · 230 citations