Mutator dynamics in sexual and asexual experimental populations of yeast
2011
Mutator Dynamics in Yeast Populations
Sample size: 10
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Raynes Yevgeniy, Gazzara Matthew R, Sniegowski Paul D
Primary Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Hypothesis
How does recombination affect the frequency dynamics of a mutator allele in sexual versus asexual yeast populations?
Conclusion
Mutators quickly decline in sexual populations while hitchhiking to high frequency in asexual populations.
Supporting Evidence
- Mutator strains increased in frequency in asexual populations.
- Mutators declined toward loss in sexual populations.
- The msh2Δ mutator has a high realized cost in sexual populations.
Takeaway
In yeast, a mutation-causing gene does well in asexual reproduction but struggles in sexual reproduction because of the way genes mix.
Methodology
The study compared mutator allele frequencies in sexual and asexual populations of yeast over 150 generations.
Limitations
The study cannot rule out unknown directly deleterious effects of the mutator allele on fitness.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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