Emergence biases in molecular evolution

Area of Science:

• Molecular Evolution
• Genetics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Biases in molecular evolution impact evolutionary paths.
• Previous studies noted biases in promoter, enhancer, and de novo protein emergence, but lacked a unifying term.
• Emergence of new molecular activities has not been formally characterized in terms of bias.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formalize the concept of "emergence bias" in molecular evolution.
• To synthesize existing research through the lens of emergence bias.
• To propose the significance of emergence bias in shaping evolutionary trajectories.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of previous studies on molecular evolution.
• Conceptual framework development for emergence bias.
• Speculation on the molecular underpinnings of emergence bias.

Main Results:

• Formal definition of emergence bias: a molecular predisposition affecting the manifestation of new or latent functions/phenotypes upon mutation.
• Identification of emergence bias in the development of promoters, enhancers, and de novo proteins.
• Synthesis of diverse findings under the unifying concept of emergence bias.

Conclusions:

• Emergence bias is a crucial factor in molecular evolution.
• This bias canalizes the types of functions that can emerge.
• Understanding emergence bias provides new insights into evolutionary processes and the generation of molecular novelty.