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Homology and homocracy revisited: gene expression patterns and hypotheses of homology

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Abstract

Homocracy, a term referring to shared regulatory gene expression patterns between organs in different animals, was introduced recently in order to prevent inappropriate inference of organ homology based on gene expression data. Non-homologous structures expressing homologous genes, and homologous structures expressing non-homologous genes illustrate that gene expression data is not sufficient on its own to identify morphological homology. However, gene expression data might be useful in testing hypotheses of organ homology, because parsimony can be applied on changes in the relation between expression of orthologous regulatory genes and the formation of homologous organs. A method of testing organ homology hypotheses with respect to change in regulatory gene expression required within a particular phylogenetic context is presented.

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Victor Albert (Botanical Garden, Oslo), Olle Israelsson (Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University), Annelie Carlsbecker (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University), and Kerstin Kaufmann (LS Genetik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena) for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript, which is not to imply that they necessarily endorse the views herein. Francisco Vergara-Silva (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University), Christian Mitgutsch and Professor Dr. Lennart Olsson (Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena) are thanked for fruitful discussions on topics related to this paper.

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  1. Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Mats E Svensson

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  1. Mats E Svensson
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Correspondence to Mats E Svensson.

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Edited by R.J. Sommer

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Svensson, M.E. Homology and homocracy revisited: gene expression patterns and hypotheses of homology. Dev Genes Evol 214, 418–421 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-004-0416-2

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