Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Epistasis

Epistasis

In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...

Epistasis Analysis

Epistasis Analysis

Although Mendel chose seven unrelated traits in peas to study gene segregation, most traits involve multiple gene interactions that create a spectrum of phenotypes. When the interaction of various genes or alleles at different locations influences a phenotype, this is called epistasis. Epistasis often involves one gene masking or interfering with the expression of another (antagonistic epistasis). Epistasis often occurs when different genes are part of the same biochemical pathway. The...

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.

Inheritance

Inheritance

Gregor Mendel's pioneering work on the principles of inheritance fundamentally transformed our understanding of how traits are transmitted from generation to generation. His experiments with pea plants laid the groundwork for the discovery of genes, discrete units within organisms that control heredity.
Each gene exists in pairs, and the combination of these genes from both parents forms an individual's genotype. This genotype is a blueprint of potential traits. Examples of genotype...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Navigating contradictions in enteric chemotactic stimuli.

eLife·2025

Same author

Applying Computational Protein Design to Engineer Affibodies for Affinity-controlled Delivery of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor.

Biomacromolecules·2025

Same author

Zebrafish do not have a calprotectin ortholog.

PloS one·2025

Same author

Changing expression system alters oligomerization and proinflammatory activity of recombinant human S100A9.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Same author

Zebrafish do not have calprotectin.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Same author

Bacterial vampirism mediated through taxis to serum.

eLife·2024

Same journal

Another 10 years of PLOS Computational Biology: A data-driven reflection on trends in genomics research.

PLoS computational biology·2026

Same journal

Mobility data resolution needed to inform predictive models of spatial epidemic spread from mobile phone data.

PLoS computational biology·2026

Same journal

DeepMethylation: A deep learning framework for tissue-specific DNA methylation prediction and functional variant annotation.

PLoS computational biology·2026

Same journal

Redefining and estimating the early-phase reproduction ratio for epidemic outbreaks in spatially structured populations.

PLoS computational biology·2026

Same journal

Optimized phenotype definitions boost GWAS power.

PLoS computational biology·2026

Same journal

Detection, communication, and individual identification with deep audio embeddings: A case study with North Atlantic right whales.

PLoS computational biology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

High-order epistasis shapes evolutionary trajectories.

Zachary R Sailer^1,2, Michael J Harms^1,2

¹Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.

Plos Computational Biology

|May 16, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

High-order epistasis significantly impacts evolutionary trajectories by altering mutation accessibility and probability. The magnitude, not the order, of epistasis is key, making predictions from pairwise interactions insufficient.

More Related Videos

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

Published on: August 8, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

Published on: August 8, 2017

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genetics
Computational biology

Background:

Epistasis, where mutations interact, influences evolutionary paths.
High-order epistasis (interactions involving three or more mutations) effects are poorly understood.
Understanding epistasis is crucial for predicting evolutionary trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of high-order epistasis on evolutionary trajectories.
To compare evolutionary paths in genotype-fitness maps with and without high-order epistasis.
To determine the predictive power of mutation interactions on evolution.

Main Methods:

Computationally removing high-order epistasis from experimental genotype-fitness maps.
Analyzing genotype-fitness maps with all binary combinations of five mutations.
Comparing evolutionary trajectories before and after epistasis manipulation.

Main Results:

High-order epistasis significantly shapes the accessibility and probability of evolutionary trajectories.
The magnitude of epistasis, rather than its order, predicts its effect on evolutionary paths.
Predicting evolutionary trajectories solely from individual and pairwise mutation effects is not possible when high-order epistasis is present.

Conclusions:

High-order epistasis profoundly influences evolutionary trajectories within genotype-fitness landscapes.
Epistatic interactions, particularly their magnitude, are critical determinants of evolutionary outcomes.
Accurate evolutionary predictions require consideration of complex, high-order mutational interactions.