What is Homology?
Homology refers to the similarities in genes, physical structures, and function among organisms due to shared ancestry. When looking at the figure below, you can see that the limb of several different organisms are comprised of bone structures that are anatomically similar in placement and function. For genetic studies, programs such as BLAST can be used to see protein homology which then can determine similarity in sequences among organisms.
DYRK1A Homologs in Organisms
Discussion
The DYRK1A protein found in humans has been shown to have homologs in many different organisms with diverse nervous systems. Knowing the important regulatory roles DYRK1A plays in larger organisms with complex central nervous systems, it is no surprise that one would see higher conserved regions for those organisms. The zebrafish contains a DYRK1A homolog with a relatively conserved protein sequence compared to humans. It is also known that zebrafish contain a similar CNS and PNS nervous system and early developmental gene expression that would be important for analyzing neural proliferation in the brain.
References
Images:
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2. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/66/82/65/668265e8e2ac5ee12c5a3919c8eb86da.png
3. https://www.vinylsilhouettes.com/content/images/thumbs/0003007_chimpanzee-32-safari-animal-silhouette-decals_550.gif
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7. https://d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net/800px_COLOURBOX1651698.jpg
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9. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Kisspng-insect-fly-icon-silhouette-flies-5a7a0d16a0cd49.1942966715179481826587.png
10. https://www.oxinst.com/learning/uploads/inline-images/c-elegans-icon-20190308111702.png
1. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/pRFTFedEIJQGyuAKoQs98SCB8LbX91P6KLvIsxDgRtsdC3JAmCrdh87yoyUeV-jMs-A0HaV_PwLUH_-2ruks2EUYmY_oWv3Vd6TMQtH5-2whhhUcoMvg42Ca-c4
2. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/66/82/65/668265e8e2ac5ee12c5a3919c8eb86da.png
3. https://www.vinylsilhouettes.com/content/images/thumbs/0003007_chimpanzee-32-safari-animal-silhouette-decals_550.gif
4. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1d/d1/a9/1dd1a9204d27832232e706d75b9fd6e5.jpg
5. https://www.dogsinpictures.com/images/dog2_big.jpg
6. https://dejpknyizje2n.cloudfront.net/svgcustom/clipart/preview/frog-toad-7706-16402-300x300.png
7. https://d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net/800px_COLOURBOX1651698.jpg
8. https://img.favpng.com/1/24/4/common-carp-clip-art-vector-graphics-silhouette-png-favpng-JEgFT7GeSmjPx36gXZt98ZLuz.jpg
9. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Kisspng-insect-fly-icon-silhouette-flies-5a7a0d16a0cd49.1942966715179481826587.png
10. https://www.oxinst.com/learning/uploads/inline-images/c-elegans-icon-20190308111702.png
This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 564, an undergraduate capstone course at UW-Madison.