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Published on: April 7, 2018
Evolutionary selective pressure on three mitochondrial SNPs is consistent with their influence on metabolic
Srikar Chamala1, Wesley A Beckstead, Mark J Rowe
1Department of Integrative Biology, Brigham Young University, 699 WIDB, Provo, UT 84602, USA. srikarchamala@byu.edu
Abstract:
We investigated whether the effect of evolutionary selection on three recent Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial sub-haplogroups of Pima Indians is consistent with their effects on metabolic efficiency. The mitochondrial SNPs impact metabolic rate and respiratory quotient, and may be adaptations to caloric restriction in a desert habitat. Using TreeSAAP software, we examined evolutionary selection in 107 mammalian species at these SNPs, characterising the biochemical shifts produced by the amino acid substitutions. Our results suggest that two SNPs were affected by selection during mammalian evolution in a manner consistent with their effects on metabolic efficiency in Pima Indians.
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