HP6/Umbrea is dispensable for viability and fertility, suggesting essentiality of newly evolved genes is rare.

Abstract

The newly evolved gene Heterochromatin Protein 6 (<i>HP6</i>), which has been previously classified as essential, challenged the dogma that functions required for viability are only seen in genes with a long evolutionary history. Based on previous RNA-sequencing analysis in Drosophila germ cells, we asked whether HP6 might play a role in germline development. Surprisingly, we found that CRISPR-generated <i>HP6</i> mutants are viable and fertile. Using previously generated mutants, we identified an independent lethal allele and an RNAi off-target effect that prevented accurate interpretation of <i>HP6</i> essentiality. By reviewing existing data, we found that the vast majority of young genes that were previously classified as essential were indeed viable when tested with orthologous methods. Together, our data call into question the frequency with which newly evolved genes gain essential functions and suggest that using multiple independent genetic methods is essential when probing the functions of young genes.