Paralog interference contributes to the preservation of genetic redundancy

Models of gene duplication often assume that loss-of-function mutations neutrally promote the return to the ancestral singleton state. They thus ignore the potential functional interference between duplicated proteins stemming from their physical interactions. Here, we show that for heteromerizing paralogs, such interference potentiates negative selection on loss-of-function mutations. This effect maintains genetic redundancy over longer timescales depending on the rate and severity of loss-of-function mutations. We experimentally estimate that around 6% of deleterious amino acid substitutions in a representative tetrameric protein interfere with a second copy. Interfering substitutions typically disrupt either catalysis or the final step of protein complex assembly, with varying degrees of severity. Our work shows that paralog interference renders the negative effects of loss-of-function mutations visible to purifying selection, contributing to the preservation of genetic redundancy.