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Examining emergence of functional gene clustering in a simulated evolution
1The Leslie and Susan Gonda Interdisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. uri.yerushalmi@gmail.com
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
|June 8, 2007
Summary
Gene order is not random but linked to function, driven by evolutionary forces. This study models how natural selection and gene network development lead to functional gene clustering.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Systems biology
Background:
- Emerging evidence suggests gene order is coupled with gene function, challenging the notion of randomness.
- Physical proximity mechanisms like co-expression and co-regulation, or evolutionary forces like genetic drift, may explain this phenomenon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a biologically plausible model for evolutionary development.
- To investigate the co-evolution of recombination rate and gene functionality within this model.
Main Methods:
- Development of a computational model incorporating natural selection, gene network formation, and cellular organism evolution.
- Simulation of evolutionary dynamics to examine the interplay between recombination rate and gene functionality.
Main Results:
- Model results align with empirical observations of functionally related genes being clustered.
- Demonstration that evolutionary pressure in complex environments drives the emergence of functional gene order.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary pressure is sufficient to establish gene order coupled with functionality.
- Provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the formation of gene clusters.
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