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Related Concept Videos

Mutations

Mutations

Mutations

Mutations

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.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

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).

Mismatch Repair

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...

Mismatch Repair

Mismatch Repair

Genome Copying Errors

Genome Copying Errors

DNA replication is a well-evolved process that copies millions of base pairs with high fidelity during each cell division. Occasionally a wrong base or a long stretch of wrong bases may get added to the daughter strands. If the errors are left unchecked, cells might accumulate several mutations that might endanger their survival. Therefore, the copying errors are checked and repaired at three levels.

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Genetic Variation: Harmful Recessive Mutations Have Unexpected Effects on Variation.

John F Y Brookfield¹

¹School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.

Current Biology : CB

|January 8, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New research refines the standard model of selection on linked neutral variation. Harmful recessive mutations are now included, explaining associative overdominance in low recombination regions.

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Area of Science:

Population Genetics
Molecular Evolution

Background:

The standard model explains selection's effect on linked neutral variation in low recombination regions.
This model currently combines background selection and selective sweeps.

Purpose of the Study:

To refine the standard model by incorporating the impact of harmful recessive mutations.
To investigate how these mutations contribute to associative overdominance.

Main Methods:

Theoretical modeling of genetic variation.
Population genetic simulations.

Main Results:

Harmful recessive mutations create associative overdominance.
This phenomenon requires model refinement in low recombination settings.

Conclusions:

The standard model needs updating to account for associative overdominance.
Harmful recessive mutations are a significant factor in linked neutral variation.