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Enzyme polymorphisms: gene frequency distributions with mutation and selection for optimal activity.

B D Latter

    Genetics
    |February 1, 1975
    PubMed
    Summary

    Genetic data from Drosophila do not support neutral evolution alone. Natural selection for optimal enzyme activity, alongside mutation and drift, better explains observed gene frequencies and reduces the rate of gene substitution.

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    Mutant alleles of small effect are primarily responsible for the loss of fitness with slow inbreeding in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Genetics·1998

    Area of Science:

    • Population genetics
    • Molecular evolution
    • Enzyme kinetics

    Background:

    • The neutral theory of molecular evolution posits that most genetic variation is due to neutral mutations and genetic drift.
    • Previous studies have analyzed gene frequency distributions in Drosophila populations.
    • Understanding the evolutionary forces shaping genetic diversity is crucial for evolutionary biology.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To test the predictions of the neutral theory against empirical gene frequency data in Drosophila.
    • To investigate the role of natural selection, specifically for optimal enzyme activity, in shaping genetic variation.
    • To compare the explanatory power of neutral and selectionist models.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of large-scale gene frequency distribution data from Drosophila species.

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  • Comparison of observed data with predictions from neutral evolution models.
  • Evaluation of an alternative model incorporating natural selection for enzyme activity, mutation, and genetic drift.

    • Main Results:

    • Observed gene frequency distributions are inconsistent with a model of neutral mutations and genetic drift alone.
    • The data align qualitatively with a model that includes natural selection for optimal enzyme activity.
    • The detected intensity of selection significantly reduces the mean rate of gene substitution.

    Conclusions:

    • The neutral theory alone is insufficient to explain observed gene frequency patterns in Drosophila.
    • Natural selection plays a significant role in molecular evolution, particularly in maintaining optimal enzyme activity.
    • Selection-based models provide a more accurate framework for understanding genetic variation and the rate of molecular evolution.