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An evolutionary relationship between genetic variation and phenotypic fluctuation.

Kunihiko Kaneko1, Chikara Furusawa

  • 1Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan. kaneko@complex.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|October 11, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Phenotype fluctuations in genetically identical clones are crucial for evolution. This study derives an inequality linking genetic variation and clone variance, explaining evolutionary dynamics and the error catastrophe limit.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Theoretical biology
  • Systems biology

Background:

  • Phenotype fluctuations within clones (genetically identical organisms) are increasingly recognized for their evolutionary significance.
  • Understanding the interplay between genetic variation and phenotypic variation is key to evolutionary theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To derive a general inequality relating phenotype variance from genetic differences and intrinsic clone phenotype variance.
  • To elucidate the consistency between Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in evolution.
  • To establish a condition for the 'error catastrophe' and its implications for the speed of stable evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical derivation of an inequality based on the stability of genetic variation and phenotype fluctuation distributions.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Numerical evolution experiment simulating a cell with a catalytic reaction network to validate theoretical findings.
  • Analysis of the relationship between mutation rate, phenotype variance, and genetic variance.

    • Main Results:

    • A general inequality was derived, showing an approximately linear relationship between phenotype variance due to genetic differences and intrinsic clone phenotype variance for a given mutation rate.
    • The derived inequality reconciles Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection with the evolutionary fluctuation-response relationship.
    • A condition for the error catastrophe was identified as the violation of this inequality, defining limits on stable evolutionary speed.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the role of phenotype fluctuations in evolution.
    • The findings confirm the consistency of major evolutionary principles and introduce a quantifiable limit to evolutionary speed.
    • The framework supports discussions on phenotypic plasticity and genetic assimilation in evolutionary processes.