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Replicability and recurrence in the experimental evolution of a group I ribozyme
1Department of Genetics and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA.
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|July 12, 2000
Summary
Researchers evolved ribozyme populations to cleave DNA, observing significant activity improvements. Multiple distinct evolutionary paths emerged, showcasing diverse solutions and genetic profiles in this experimental evolution study.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Ribozymes are RNA molecules with catalytic activity.
- Understanding ribozyme evolution provides insights into biological catalysis and molecular evolution.
- Group I introns are self-splicing ribozymes with diverse functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore diverse evolutionary responses of ribozyme populations to selection for a novel DNA cleavage phenotype.
- To characterize the phenotypic and genotypic trajectories of evolving ribozymes.
- To investigate the relationship between selected (DNA cleavage) and unselected (RNA cleavage) phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Experimental evolution of five parallel Tetrahymena thermophila group I intron ribozyme pools.
- Selection for catalytic cleavage of a DNA oligonucleotide.
- Characterization of phenotypic plateaus, DNA and RNA cleavage activities, and genotypic profiles.
Main Results:
- Achieved up to a 100-fold improvement in DNA cleavage activity.
- Identified at least two distinct phenotypic trajectories with differing activities and correlations to RNA cleavage.
- Observed distinct genotypic profiles underlying each trajectory.
Conclusions:
- Evolving populations can follow multiple distinct pathways in sequence space.
- Experimental evolution can yield diverse solutions even in simple, engineered systems.
- The study highlights the complexity of evolutionary trajectories and adaptive solutions.