ArticlePLoS genetics2021
A putative de novo evolved gene required for spermatid chromatin condensation in Drosophila melanogaster.
Article in PLoS genetics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers.
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Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 45 citations in OpenAlex.
- Emergence and evolution of protein-coding de novo genes.Nature reviews. Genetics · 2026Review
- Dynamic proteomics of Nasonia vitripennis pupal development reveals testis-specific regulation of new proteins (orphans) likely related to exo-α-sialidases.BMC genomics · 2026Article
- Orthologs of an essential orphan gene vary in their capacities for function and subcellular localization in Drosophila melanogaster.Molecular biology and evolution · 2026Article
- Evolution of the reproductive interactome and the origins of postmating-prezygotic reproductive divergence.BMC biology · 2026Article
- Rapid promoter evolution of male accessory gland genes is accompanied by divergent expression in closely related Drosophila species.Genetics · 2025Article
- Something from nothing: The birth of new phage defense genes.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- De Novo Genes: Current Status and Future Goals.Genome biology and evolution · 2025Article
- Orphan and de novo Genes in Fungi and Animals: Identification, Origins and Functions.Genome biology and evolution · 2025Review
- De Novo Gene Emergence: Summary, Classification, and Challenges of Current Methods.Genome biology and evolution · 2025Review
- Emergence of antiphage functions from random sequence libraries reveals mechanisms of gene birth.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- DeNoFo: a file format and toolkit for standardized, comparable de novo gene annotation.Bioinformatics (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- Oncogenic roles of young human de novo genes and their potential as neoantigens in cancer immunotherapy.Cell genomics · 2025Article
- Genomic Analysis Reveals the Role of New Genes in Venom Regulatory Network of Parasitoid Wasps.Insects · 2025Article
- An orphan gene is essential for efficient sperm entry into eggs in Drosophila melanogaster.Genetics · 2025Article
- An orphan gene is essential for efficient sperm entry into eggs inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Expression of Random Sequences and de novo Evolved Genes From the Mouse in Human Cells Reveals Functional Diversity and Specificity.Genome biology and evolution · 2024Article
- Article
- De Novo Genes.Annual review of genetics · 2024Review
- Sequence, Structure, and Functional Space of Drosophila De Novo Proteins.Genome biology and evolution · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Comparative genomics has enabled the identification of genes that potentially evolved de novo from non-coding sequences. Many such genes are expressed in male reproductive tissues, but their functions remain poorly understood. To address this, we conducted a functional genetic screen of over 40 putative de novo genes with testis-enriched expression in Drosophila melanogaster and identified one gene, atlas, required for male fertility. Detailed genetic and cytological analyses showed that atlas is required for proper chromatin condensation during the final stages of spermatogenesis. Atlas protein is expressed in spermatid nuclei and facilitates the transition from histone- to protamine-based chromatin packaging. Complementary evolutionary analyses revealed the complex evolutionary history of atlas. The protein-coding portion of the gene likely arose at the base of the Drosophila genus on the X chromosome but was unlikely to be essential, as it was then lost in several independent lineages. Within the last ~15 million years, however, the gene moved to an autosome, where it fused with a conserved non-coding RNA and evolved a non-redundant role in male fertility. Altogether, this study provides insight into the integration of novel genes into biological processes, the links between genomic innovation and functional evolution, and the genetic control of a fundamental developmental process, gametogenesis.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.