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Related Concept Videos

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Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
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A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts
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Published on: February 6, 2014

Protein evolution within and between species.

Armin O Schmitt1, Johannes Schuchhardt, Arne Ludwig

  • 1Institute for Animal Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany. armin.schmitt@agrar.hu-berlin.de

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|September 21, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Protein evolution is shaped by the genetic code and physico-chemical constraints. The genetic code primarily drives amino acid exchanges within species, while both factors are comparable for moderately diverged species.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Protein evolution involves amino acid replacements driven by point mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
  • Amino acid substitutions can occur without affecting protein function, even with differing physicochemical properties, but some replacements lead to functional deficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the roles of the genetic code and physico-chemical properties in shaping amino acid replacement during protein evolution.
  • To analyze the influence of these factors on amino acid exchanges within and between species.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized comprehensive published single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data.
  • Applied correlation analysis to quantify the impact of genetic code degeneracy and physico-chemical constraints on amino acid substitutions.

Main Results:

  • Amino acid exchange frequencies within species are best explained by the genetic code, with physico-chemical conservation playing a subordinate but key role.
  • For moderately diverged species, both genetic code and physico-chemical properties have comparable influences.
  • Amino acid exchange profiles are highly correlated across diverse species, even with up to 800 million years of divergence.

Conclusions:

  • The genetic code's degeneracy is a primary driver of amino acid substitutions within species.
  • Physico-chemical properties are crucial for maintaining protein function and influence exchanges, especially between species.
  • Protein evolution exhibits conserved patterns of amino acid exchange across vast evolutionary timescales.