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A dissection of volatility in yeast.
Nina Stoletzki1, John Welch, Joachim Hermisson
1Section of Evolutionary Biology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany. stoletzki@zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|June 17, 2005
Summary
Volatility, a measure of mutations, may not accurately reflect natural selection. Instead, translational codon bias in genome sequences could potentially indicate selection levels.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Volatility, the proportion of mutations altering amino acids, has been proposed as an indicator of natural selection acting on genes.
- Previous studies observed correlations between gene volatility and the rate of nonsynonymous substitution (dN) across various organisms, including yeast.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between gene volatility, natural selection, and codon bias.
- To determine if volatility is a reliable measure for inferring natural selection.
- To explore alternative genomic indicators of natural selection.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gene sequences from various organisms, focusing on yeast.
- Correlation analysis between gene volatility, nonsynonymous substitution rates (dN), and synonymous codon bias.
- Statistical evaluation of observed correlations.
Main Results:
- The observed correlations between gene volatility and dN were found to be an artifact.
- These correlations are primarily driven by an underlying relationship between translational codon bias and dN.
- Volatility is not a direct or reliable measure of natural selection.
Conclusions:
- The study challenges the utility of gene volatility as a direct measure of natural selection.
- Translational codon bias, derived from genome sequences, shows potential as a more accurate indicator of natural selection.
- Further research into codon bias may offer insights into evolutionary pressures on genes.