Natural selection with nuclear and cytoplasmic transmission. I. A deterministic model

Area of Science:

• Population Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Molecular Genetics

Background:

• Understanding the genetic basis of variation is crucial for evolutionary studies.
• Cytoplasmic inheritance, particularly mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), plays a significant role in population genetics.
• Recent reports highlight extensive variation in mtDNA, prompting investigation into its evolutionary drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate a deterministic model for genetic variation with nuclear and cytoplasmic factors.
• To analyze the stability of genetic equilibria under different viability scenarios.
• To investigate the conditions for protected polymorphism in nuclear genes and cytoplasmic types.

Main Methods:

• Development of a deterministic population genetic model.
• Analysis of additive, multiplicative, and symmetric viability matrices.
• Investigation of the protectedness of polymorphisms in nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic elements.

Main Results:

• A deterministic model was formulated to study nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic variation.
• Analysis revealed that complete polymorphism is not protected under the model's conditions.
• The model's findings contrast with explanations for observed extensive mtDNA variation.

Conclusions:

• Deterministic models may not fully explain the maintenance of complete polymorphism.
• The protectedness of polymorphisms is influenced by interactions between nuclear and cytoplasmic factors.
• Further research is needed to reconcile theoretical models with empirical observations of mtDNA variation.