Augix Guohua XU's List: evolutionary patterns of gene expression

• the range of rates of divergence is large with highly significant differences in the rate and patterns of transcription divergence across functional classes defined on the basis of the gene ontology annotation (primates and mice datasets) or on the basis of the pattern of sex-biased gene expression (Drosophila).

• This comparative gene expression data allowed us to identify a large number of genes, as well as specific pathways, whose inter-species expression profiles are consistent with the action of stabilizing or directional selection on gene regulation.
• Among the latter set, we found an enrichment of genes involved in metabolic pathways, consistent with the hypothesis that shifts in diet underlie many regulatory adaptations in humans.
• In addition, we found evidence for tissue-specific selection pressures, as well as lower rates of protein evolution for genes in which regulation evolves under natural selection.

1 more annotation...

• we review the various methods that have been used to test for signs of selection in genomic expression data. We also discuss properties of regulatory systems relevant to neutral models of gene expression.

• Module conservation in cerebral cortex is significantly weaker than module conservation  in subcortical brain regions, revealing a striking gradient that parallels known evolutionary hierarchies.

• the majority of sex-biased expression is due to adaptive changes in males
• implying that males experience stronger selection than females.

• We find that the intensity of gene expression relates inversely to the rate  of protein sequence evolution on a genomic scale. The most highly expressed genes actually show the lowest total number of  substitutions per polypeptide, consistent with cumulative effects of purifying selection on individual amino acid replacements.