Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Rates of spontaneous mutation

J W Drake1, B Charlesworth, D Charlesworth

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2233, USA. drake@niehs.nih.gov

Genetics
|April 30, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Unravelling coastal plastic pollution dynamics along southeastern Australia: Insights from oceanographic modelling informed by empirical data.

Marine pollution bulletin·2025
Same author

THE PROBABILITY OF PEAK SHIFTS IN A FOUNDER POPULATION. II. AN ADDITIVE POLYGENIC TRAIT.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2017
Same author

THE EFFECTS OF SELECTION IN THE GAMETOPHYTE STAGE ON MUTATIONAL LOAD.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2017
Same author

INBREEDING DEPRESSION WITH HETEROZYGOTE ADVANTAGE AND ITS EFFECT ON SELECTION FOR MODIFIERS CHANGING THE OUTCROSSING RATE.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2017
Same author

THE EFFECT OF INVESTMENT IN ATTRACTIVE STRUCTURES ON ALLOCATION TO MALE AND FEMALE FUNCTIONS IN PLANTS.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2017
Same author

INBREEDING DEPRESSION, GENETIC LOAD, AND THE EVOLUTION OF OUTCROSSING RATES IN A MULTILOCUS SYSTEM WITH NO LINKAGE.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2017
Same journal

Adaptive Dynamics of Quantitative Traits in a Steadily Changing Environment.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Functional Landscape of Zebrafish Gonadotropins and Receptors: A Comprehensive Genetic Analysis.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Synergistic actions of Nup43 and Myosin VI drive actin cone assembly during Drosophila spermiogenesis.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Identification of two Cryptococcus neoformans heme transporters involved in Fhb1-mediated nitrosative stress protection in a fission yeast model.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Analysis of a hypomorphic mei-P26 mutation reveals coordination between developmental programming of germ cells and meiotic chromosome dynamics.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Neural and Genetic Mechanisms Regulating Copulation Latency in Male Drosophila melanogaster.

Genetics·2026
See all related articles

Mutation rates vary significantly across different organisms, from RNA viruses to microbes and higher eukaryotes. Understanding these diverse mutation rates is crucial for evolutionary biology.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Spontaneous mutation rates per genome show significant variation across diverse life forms.
  • RNA viruses exhibit high mutation rates (1 per genome per replication for lytic, 0.1 for retroviruses).
  • Microbes and higher eukaryotes display different mutation rate patterns relative to genome size and reproductive strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze and compare spontaneous mutation rates across various organism groups.
  • To investigate the relationship between mutation rates, genome size, and organism type.
  • To identify evolutionary forces influencing observed mutation rate diversity.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory measurement of spontaneous mutation rates per genome.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative analysis of mutation rates in RNA viruses, microbes, and higher eukaryotes.
  • Examination of mutation rates relative to genome size and reproductive mode (replication, sexual generation, cell division).

    • Main Results:

    • Mutation rates are similar within broad organism groups but differ strikingly among them.
    • Microbial mutation rates per base pair vary inversely with genome size.
    • Higher eukaryotic mutation rates are high per sexual generation but low per cell division in non-neutral genomic regions.

    Conclusions:

    • Diverse evolutionary forces shape the observed spectrum of mutation rates.
    • Mutation rate variation is a key factor in evolutionary adaptation and diversification.
    • Further research can specify the precise evolutionary pressures driving mutation rate differences.