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Related Experiment Videos

The superoxide dismutase molecular clock revisited

W M Fitch1, F J Ayala

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine 92717.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 19, 1994
PubMed
Summary

The Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene may adhere to a molecular clock model when accounting for covarions. This finding suggests that previously observed evolutionary rate inconsistencies might stem from incomplete biological considerations.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Evolution
  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) previously exhibited non-clock-like evolutionary behavior, even after corrections for multiple mutations.
  • Observed evolutionary rates varied significantly (up to 5-fold) depending on the time scale analyzed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the Cu,Zn SOD gene aligns with a molecular clock model using a covarion approach.
  • To re-evaluate the evolutionary dynamics of SOD by incorporating the concept of concomitantly variable codons.

Main Methods:

  • Determined the number of covarions in SOD to be 28.
  • Applied a covarion model to SOD sequence data to assess molecular clock adherence.
  • Analyzed parameters including evolutionary rates, total codon count, invariable codons, and variability persistence.

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Main Results:

  • The SOD gene data fit a molecular clock model reasonably well with 28 covarions.
  • Estimated evolutionary rate: approximately six replacements per 10 million years.
  • Identified 162 total codons, 44 permanently invariable codons, and low variability persistence (0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Apparent deviations from a molecular clock in SOD may result from not fully accounting for biological factors like covarions.
  • The study highlights the importance of considering covarions and varying evolutionary rates across different amino acid subsets for accurate divergence time estimations.