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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

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Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
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Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
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Mutations01:35

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Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
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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).
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A Protocol for Functional Assessment of Whole-Protein Saturation Mutagenesis Libraries Utilizing High-Throughput Sequencing
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How does mutation affect the distribution of phenotypes?

Katrina McGuigan1, Ernest Aw1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|September 9, 2017
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mutation can bias evolutionary trajectories by affecting trait development and variation differently across sexes and phenotypic dimensions. This study in zebrafish reveals mutation

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The influence of mutation on phenotypic evolution, particularly directional bias and variance in multivariate trait space, remains incompletely understood.
  • Mutation is a primary source of genetic variation, but its potential to bias evolutionary trajectories requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of induced mutation on trait means and covariances in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
  • To determine if mutation introduces directional bias or unequal variance in phenotypic evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mutagenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio) to induce mutations.
  • Assessed the effects of mutation on prolonged swimming speed and body shape across different ages.
  • Analyzed trait means, variances, and covariances, with comparisons between sexes.

Main Results:

  • Mutation altered the relationship between age and both swimming speed and body shape, indicating effects on ontogeny or aging.
  • Mutational effects were significantly greater in males than females, suggesting sex-specific influences.
  • In males, mutations induced a positive covariance between swimming speed, size, and body shape.

Conclusions:

  • Mutation does not generate uniform variance across all directions of phenotypic space or equally affect both sexes.
  • Mutational effects on ontogeny or aging can introduce bias and generate variance, potentially influencing evolutionary trajectories.
  • Sex-specific differences in mutation's impact highlight the complexity of its role in shaping phenotypic evolution.