Abstract
Heterochronic mutations are genetic lesions that alter the relative timing of events as an organism develops, thereby causing temporal disorganization among tissue identities. Such mutations have been proposed to contribute to the morphological diversity among evolutionarily related species. This article explains heterochronic mutations primarily from the viewpoint of their discovery and analysis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, with an emphasis on the role of microRNAs. Conservation of heterochronic genes among diverse organisms is also discussed, including findings that link microRNAs to the timing of puberty in humans.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Brenner's Encyclopedia of Genetics |
Subtitle of host publication | Second Edition |
Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
Pages | 442-445 |
Number of pages | 4 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780080961569 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780123749840 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 27 2013 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Cell division
- Developmental timing
- Gain-of-function mutation
- Heterochrony
- Let-7
- Lin-14
- Lin-4
- Loss-of-function mutation
- MicroRNA (miRNA)
- Puberty