Rank orders and signed interactions in evolutionary biology

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Genetics
• Ecology

Background:

• Rank orders in biological systems have been studied for nearly a century.
• Order constraints are relevant in fields like cancer drug treatment and ecological species invasions.
• Current theories on biological rank orders are fragmented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To unify fragmented theories on rank orders in biology.
• To demonstrate the relationship between inferring genetic interactions from comparative fitness data and sign epistasis.
• To identify and analyze order perturbations in biological evolution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a framework for inferring genetic interactions from comparative fitness data.
• Developed an approach based on order perturbations to analyze rank orders.
• Applied the framework to study antimalarial drug resistance in malaria parasites and bacterial adaptation to methanol.

Main Results:

• Established a link between inferring genetic interactions and sign epistasis approaches to rank orders.
• Identified prevalent order perturbations beyond sign epistasis in the antimalarial drug-resistance landscape.
• Demonstrated the utility of the approach in understanding evolutionary adaptation.

Conclusions:

• The developed approach provides a unified perspective on rank orders in biology.
• Prevalent order perturbations beyond sign epistasis are significant in evolutionary landscapes.
• This framework aids in understanding evolutionary constraints and adaptation processes, such as drug resistance and environmental adaptation.