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Related Concept Videos

Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...
What is Gene Expression?01:36

What 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...
What is Gene Expression?01:42

What is Gene Expression?

Overview
Gene expression is the process in which DNA directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene expression at various stages. It allows organisms to generate different cell types and enables cells to adapt to internal and external factors.
Genetic Information Flows from DNA to RNA to Protein
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is made up of nucleotides and proteins consist of amino...
What is Gene Expression?01:42

What is Gene Expression?

Overview
Gene expression is the process in which DNA directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene expression at various stages. It allows organisms to generate different cell types and enables cells to adapt to internal and external factors.
Genetic Information Flows from DNA to RNA to Protein
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is made up of nucleotides and proteins consist of amino...
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.The Theory of Natural...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Rapid Optimization of a Light-Inducible System to Control Mammalian Gene Expression
09:08

Rapid Optimization of a Light-Inducible System to Control Mammalian Gene Expression

Published on: November 4, 2025

Optimization of gene expression by natural selection.

Trevor Bedford1, Daniel L Hartl

  • 1Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. bedfordt@umich.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|January 14, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stabilizing selection significantly limits gene expression divergence across species, demonstrating natural selection

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular evolution

Background:

  • Stabilizing selection is assumed to shape quantitative traits.
  • Its role in limiting gene expression divergence is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Develop a theoretical framework to study selection on continuous traits.
  • Investigate the impact of stabilizing selection on gene expression divergence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a Brownian motion-based model for trait evolution.
  • Applied maximum-likelihood and Bayesian parameter estimation.
  • Analyzed gene expression data from seven Drosophila species.

Main Results:

  • Gene expression divergence is significantly constrained by stabilizing selection.
  • Estimated the selective effect (s) for gene expression change to be very small (Ns ≈ 1).

Conclusions:

  • Natural selection powerfully shapes phenotypes, including gene expression.
  • Selection can be effective even for mutations with near-neutral fitness effects.