Clustering of Non-Synonymous Changes and Evolutionary Rate
Author Information
Author(s): Lisa G McFerrin, Eric A Stone
Primary Institution: North Carolina State University
Hypothesis
The regional nature of structural and functional constraints will assert a positive autocorrelation on the evolutionary rates of neighboring sites.
Conclusion
There is a significant association between the evolutionary rate of a protein and the clustering of non-synonymous changes along its primary sequence.
Supporting Evidence
- The study found a strong log-linear relationship between the degree of clustering and the intensity of constraint.
- Clustering of non-synonymous changes is a non-redundant predictor of evolutionary rate.
- The relationship between selection and dispersion was consistent across multiple species comparisons.
Takeaway
This study shows that when proteins change, those changes tend to happen in clusters, and this can tell us how fast the protein is evolving.
Methodology
Genome-wide pairwise comparisons of orthologous protein-coding sequences were conducted across multiple species, using a new dispersion ratio statistic to measure clustering of non-synonymous changes.
Limitations
The study relies on sequence alignment, which can introduce errors, especially with divergent sequences.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 2.2e-16
Statistical Significance
p < 2.2e-16
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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