Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
09:23
Quantification of Information Encoded by Gene Expression Levels During Lifespan Modulation Under Broad-range Dietary Restriction in C. elegans
Published on: August 16, 2017
Energy costs constrain the evolution of gene expression
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland. aw@bioc.unizh.ch
Summary
Even minor increases in gene expression incur significant cellular energy costs. Natural selection opposes these changes, indicating that transcription and translation rates are not evolutionarily neutral in organisms with large populations.
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Gene expression significantly impacts a cell's energy budget.
- Previous estimates of gene expression costs were limited by scarce data on protein half-lives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the energetic cost of gene expression using updated data.
- To determine if natural selection opposes changes in gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized recent genome-scale measurements of protein half-lives in yeast.
- Analyzed the energetic implications of these half-life data.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that even small elevations in gene expression face opposition from natural selection.
- Demonstrated a significant energetic cost associated with mRNA and protein production.
Conclusions:
- Transcription and translation rates are subject to natural selection.
- These rates are not evolutionarily neutral in small organisms with large effective population sizes.
Related Concept Videos
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...
01:27Constitutive and Regulated Gene Expression
Gene expression in prokaryotes is governed by constitutive and regulated systems, allowing cells to balance the production of essential proteins with adaptive responses to environmental changes.Constitutive Gene ExpressionConstitutive, or housekeeping, genes are continuously expressed as they encode proteins vital for fundamental cellular processes. These include enzymes for glycolysis, ribosomal components for protein synthesis, and proteins involved in DNA replication. Their constant...
01:30Structure of a Gene
A gene is the fundamental unit of heredity. Every individual has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent. Although most people contain the same genes, there is a small fraction that is slightly different amongst people. A gene with a small difference in its sequence of DNA bases forms different alleles, contributing to different phenotypes.
However, only 1% of the DNA is composed of genes that encode proteins; the rest, 99% is non-coding DNA. This non-coding DNA performs...
However, only 1% of the DNA is composed of genes that encode proteins; the rest, 99% is non-coding DNA. This non-coding DNA performs...
00:51Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies
Organisms must balance energy intake with the energy required for growth, maintenance, and reproduction. These trade-offs result in a variety of survivorship and reproductive strategies, including semelparity and iteroparity. Semelparous species reproduce only once in their lifetime, often investing most available resources into that single reproductive event. Iteroparous species, by contrast, reproduce multiple times over their lifetimes, typically allocating fewer resources to any single...
01:36What is Gene Expression?
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is comprised of nucleotides and proteins are comprised of amino acids, a mediator is required to convert the information encoded in DNA into proteins. This mediator is the messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA copies the blueprint from DNA by a process called transcription. In eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the nucleus by complementary base-pairing with the DNA template. The mRNA is then processed and...