Genes from scratch – the evolutionary fate of de novo genes

Highlights

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  De novo genes frequently arise from noncoding DNA.

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  While most of the de novo genes are lost, a fraction of them becomes essential.

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  De novo genes are most likely involved in the response to a rapidly changing environment.

Abstract

Although considered an extremely unlikely event, many genes emerge from previously noncoding genomic regions. This review covers the entire life cycle of such de novo genes. Two competing hypotheses about the process of de novo gene birth are discussed as well as the high death rate of de novo genes. Despite the high death rate, some de novo genes are retained and remain functional, even in distantly related species, through their integration into gene networks. Further studies combining gene expression with ribosome profiling in multiple populations across different species will be instrumental for an improved understanding of the evolutionary processes operating on de novo genes.