A model of evolution with constant selective pressure for regulatory DNA sites
Author Information
Author(s): Enikeeva Farida N, Kotelnikova Ekaterina A, Gelfand Mikhail S, Makeev Vsevolod J
Primary Institution: Institute for Information Transmission Problems of RAS
Hypothesis
The study proposes a model to understand the evolution of regulatory DNA sites under constant selective pressure.
Conclusion
The model suggests that a nucleotide preferred at a position in a multiple alignment of binding sites is not necessarily the most conserved nucleotide in an alignment of orthologous sites from different species.
Supporting Evidence
- The model shows that non-consensus nucleotides can be more conserved than consensus nucleotides under certain conditions.
- Evolutionary models need to account for selective pressures to accurately reflect nucleotide conservation.
- Data from multiple alignments of transcription factor binding sites support the model's predictions.
Takeaway
This study shows that sometimes the most common DNA letter in a gene's control region isn't the one that stays the same over time; other letters can be more stable.
Methodology
The study develops a simple evolutionary model with a preferred nucleotide and a neutral substitution model for others, analyzing the conservation of nucleotides over time.
Limitations
The model may not apply to all cases of nucleotide evolution, especially where mutation rates are identical.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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