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Related Concept Videos

Gene Conversion02:08

Gene Conversion

Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...
Gene Conversion02:08

Gene Conversion

Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...
Mismatch Repair01:20

Mismatch Repair

Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...
In-vitro Mutagenesis01:16

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations01:30

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Gene-targeted Random Mutagenesis to Select Heterochromatin-destabilizing Proteasome Mutants in Fission Yeast
07:18

Gene-targeted Random Mutagenesis to Select Heterochromatin-destabilizing Proteasome Mutants in Fission Yeast

Published on: May 15, 2018

Optimization of gene expression through divergent mutational paths.

Hsin-Hung Chou1, Christopher J Marx

  • 1Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

Cell Reports
|July 27, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Laboratory evolution experiments show that despite similar selective pressures leading to repeated phenotypes, the underlying genetic changes can be highly diverse. This highlights the complex relationship between genotype and phenotype.

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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Gene-targeted Random Mutagenesis to Select Heterochromatin-destabilizing Proteasome Mutants in Fission Yeast
07:18

Gene-targeted Random Mutagenesis to Select Heterochromatin-destabilizing Proteasome Mutants in Fission Yeast

Published on: May 15, 2018

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Microbial Genetics

Background:

  • Similar selective pressures can drive comparable phenotypic adaptations.
  • A key question is whether these repeated phenotypes arise from parallel genetic changes or convergent evolution.
  • Understanding the genetic basis of adaptation is crucial for evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genotypic changes underlying repeated phenotypic adaptations in a bacterium.
  • To characterize the mutations that optimized expression of a plasmid-borne metabolic pathway during laboratory evolution.
  • To determine if phenotypic repeatability corresponds to genetic parallelism or convergence.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory evolution of bacteria with a plasmid-borne metabolic pathway.
  • Characterization of mutations affecting gene expression.
  • Analysis of gene copy number, transcript stability, and plasmid integration.

Main Results:

  • Replicate bacterial populations evolved to reduce expression of an essential but costly metabolic pathway.
  • Despite consistent phenotypic changes, a diverse spectrum of mutations was observed.
  • Three distinct mechanisms for modulating gene expression were identified: reduced gene copy number, decreased transcript stability, and genomic integration of the plasmid.

Conclusions:

  • Phenotypic convergence can mask underlying genotypic divergence.
  • The genotype-phenotype map is complex, with diverse molecular solutions to similar adaptive challenges.
  • Inferring genetic evolution solely from phenotypic changes is challenging due to this complexity.