scholarly journals Differences between the de novo proteome and its non-functional precursor can result from neutral constraints on its birth process, not necessarily from natural selection alone

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lou Nielly-Thibault ◽  
Christian R Landry

ABSTRACTProteins are among the most important constituents of biological systems. Because all proteins ultimately evolved from previously non-coding DNA, the properties of these non-coding sequences and how they shape the birth of novel proteins are also expected to influence the organization of biological networks. When trying to explain and predict the properties of novel proteins, it is of particular importance to distinguish the contributions of natural selection and other evolutionary forces. Studies in the field typically use non-coding DNA and GC-content-based random-sequence models to generate random expectations for the properties of novel functional proteins. Deviations from these expectations have been interpreted as the result of natural selection. However, interpreting such deviations requires a yet-unattained understanding of the raw material of de novo gene birth and its relation to novel functional proteins. We mathematically show how the importance of the “junk” polypeptides that make up this raw material goes beyond their average properties and their filtering by natural selection. We find that the mean of any property among novel functional proteins also depends on its variance among junk polypeptides and its correlation with their rate of evolutionary turnover. In order to exemplify the use of our general theoretical results, we combine them with a simple model that predicts the means and variances of the properties of junk polypeptides from the genomic GC content alone. Under this model, we predict the effect of GC content on the mean length and mean intrinsic disorder of novel functional proteins as a function of evolutionary parameters. We use these predictions to formulate new evolutionary interpretations of published data on the length and intrinsic disorder of novel functional proteins. This work provides a theoretical framework that can serve as a guide for the prediction and interpretation of past and future results in the study of novel proteins and their properties under various evolutionary models. Our results provide the foundation for a better understanding of the properties of cellular networks through the evolutionary origin of their components.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johana R. C. Fajardo ◽  
Diethard Tautz

We study the potential for the de novo evolution of genes from random nucleotide sequences using libraries of E. coli expressing random sequence peptides. We assess the effects of such peptides on cell growth by monitoring frequency changes of individual clones in a complex library through four serial passages. Using a new analysis pipeline that allows to trace peptides of all lengths, we find that over half of the peptides have consistent effects on cell growth. Across nine different experiments, around 16 % of clones increase in frequency and 36 % decrease, with some variation between individual experiments. Shorter peptides (8 - 20 residues), are more likely to increase in frequency, longer ones are more likely to decrease. GC content, amino acid composition, intrinsic dis-order and aggregation propensity show slightly different patterns between peptide groups. Sequences that increase in frequency tend to be more disordered with lower aggregation propensity. This coincides with the observation that young genes with more disordered structures are better tolerated in genomes. Our data indicate that random sequences can be a source of evolutionary innovation, since a large fraction of them are well tolerated by the cells or can provide a growth advantage.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe June Assaf ◽  
Susanne Tilk ◽  
Jane Park ◽  
Mark L. Siegal ◽  
Dmitri A. Petrov

AbstractMutations provide the raw material of evolution, and thus our ability to study evolution depends fundamentally on whether we have precise measurements of mutational rates and patterns. Here we explore the rates and patterns of mutations using i) de novo mutations from Drosophila melanogaster mutation accumulation lines and ii) polymorphisms segregating at extremely low frequencies. The first, mutation accumulation (MA) lines, are the product of maintaining flies in tiny populations for many generations, therefore rendering natural selection ineffective and allowing new mutations to accrue in the genome. In addition to generating a novel dataset of sequenced MA lines, we perform a meta-analysis of all published MA studies in D. melanogaster, which allows more precise estimates of mutational patterns across the genome. In the second half of this work, we identify polymorphisms segregating at extremely low frequencies using several publicly available population genomic data sets from natural populations of D. melanogaster. Extremely rare polymorphisms are difficult to detect with high confidence due to the problem of distinguishing them from sequencing error, however a dataset of true rare polymorphisms would allow the quantification of mutational patterns. This is due to the fact that rare polymorphisms, much like de novo mutations, are on average younger and also relatively unaffected by the filter of natural selection. We identify a high quality set of ~70,000 rare polymorphisms, fully validated with resequencing, and use this dataset to measure mutational patterns in the genome. This includes identifying a high rate of multi-nucleotide mutation events at both short (~5bp) and long (~1kb) genomic distances, showing that mutation drives GC content lower in already GC-poor regions, and finding that the context-dependency of the mutation spectrum predicts long-term evolutionary patterns at four-fold synonymous sites. We also show that de novo mutations from independent mutation accumulation experiments display similar patterns of single nucleotide mutation, and match well the patterns of mutation found in natural populations.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1913
Author(s):  
Johana Fajardo ◽  
Diethard Tautz

We study the potential for the de novo evolution of genes from random nucleotide sequences using libraries of E. coli expressing random sequence peptides. We assess the effects of such peptides on cell growth by monitoring frequency changes in individual clones in a complex library through four serial passages. Using a new analysis pipeline that allows the tracing of peptides of all lengths, we find that over half of the peptides have consistent effects on cell growth. Across nine different experiments, around 16% of clones increase in frequency and 36% decrease, with some variation between individual experiments. Shorter peptides (8–20 residues), are more likely to increase in frequency, longer ones are more likely to decrease. GC content, amino acid composition, intrinsic disorder, and aggregation propensity show slightly different patterns between peptide groups. Sequences that increase in frequency tend to be more disordered with lower aggregation propensity. This coincides with the observation that young genes with more disordered structures are better tolerated in genomes. Our data indicate that random sequences can be a source of evolutionary innovation, since a large fraction of them are well tolerated by the cells or can provide a growth advantage.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Berger ◽  
Josefine Stångberg ◽  
Julian Baur ◽  
Richard J. Walters

ABSTRACTAdaptation in new environments depends on the amount and type of genetic variation available for evolution, and the efficacy by which natural selection discriminates among this variation to favour the survival of the fittest. However, whether some environments systematically reveal more genetic variation in fitness, or impose stronger selection pressures than others, is typically not known. Here, we apply enzyme kinetic theory to show that rising global temperatures are predicted to intensify natural selection systematically throughout the genome by increasing the effects of DNA sequence variation on protein stability. We tested this prediction by i) estimating temperature-dependent fitness effects of induced random mutations in seed beetles adapted to ancestral or warm temperature, and ii) calculating 100 paired selection estimates on mutations in benign versus stressful environments from a diverse set of unicellular and multicellular organisms. Environmental stress per se did not increase the mean strength of selection on de novo mutation, suggesting that the cost of adaptation does not generally increase in new environments to which the organism is maladapted. However, elevated temperature increased the mean strength of selection on genome-wide polymorphism, signified by increases in both mutation load and mutational variance at elevated temperature. The theoretical predictions and empirical data suggest that this increase may correspond to a doubling of genome-wide selection for a predicted 2-4°C climate warming scenario in ectothermic organism living at temperatures close to their thermal optimum. These results have important implications for global patterns of genetic diversity and the rate and repeatability of evolution under climate change.Impact StatementNatural environments are constantly changing so organisms must also change to persist. Whether they can do so ultimately depends upon the reservoir of raw genetic material available for evolution, and the efficacy by which natural selection discriminates among this variation to favour the survival of the fittest. Here, the biochemical properties of molecules and proteins that underpin the link between genotype and phenotype can exert a major influence over how the physical environment affects the expression of phenotypes and the fitness consequences of DNA sequence polymorphism. Yet, the constraints set by these molecular features are often neglected within eco-evolutionary theory trying to predict evolution in new environments. Here we combine predictions from existing biophysical models of protein folding and enzyme kinetics with experimental data from ectothermic organisms across the tree of life, to show that rising global temperatures are predicted to increase the mean strength of selection on DNA sequence variation in cold-blooded organisms. We also show that environmental stress per se generally does not increase the mean strength of selection on new mutations, suggesting that genome-wide natural selection is not stronger in new environments to which an organism is maladapted. Theoretical predictions and data suggest that an expected climate warming scenario of a 2-4°C temperature raise within the forthcoming century will result in roughly a doubling of genome-wide selection for organisms living close to their thermal optima. However, our results also point to substantial variability in the temperature-dependence of selection on different proteins within and between organisms, suggesting scope for compensatory adaptation to shape this relationship. These results bear witness to and extend the universal temperature dependence of biological rates and have important implications for global patterns of genetic diversity and the rate and repeatability of genome evolution under environmental change.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Baojun Wu ◽  
Alicia Knudson

ABSTRACT De novo genes are very important for evolutionary innovation. However, how these genes originate and spread remains largely unknown. To better understand this, we rigorously searched for de novo genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288C and examined their spread and fixation in the population. Here, we identified 84 de novo genes in S. cerevisiae S288C since the divergence with their sister groups. Transcriptome and ribosome profiling data revealed at least 8 (10%) and 28 (33%) de novo genes being expressed and translated only under specific conditions, respectively. DNA microarray data, based on 2-fold change, showed that 87% of the de novo genes are regulated during various biological processes, such as nutrient utilization and sporulation. Our comparative and evolutionary analyses further revealed that some factors, including single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)/indel mutation, high GC content, and DNA shuffling, contribute to the birth of de novo genes, while domestication and natural selection drive the spread and fixation of these genes. Finally, we also provide evidence suggesting the possible parallel origin of a de novo gene between S. cerevisiae and Saccharomyces paradoxus. Together, our study provides several new insights into the origin and spread of de novo genes. IMPORTANCE Emergence of de novo genes has occurred in many lineages during evolution, but the birth, spread, and function of these genes remain unresolved. Here we have searched for de novo genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288C using rigorous methods, which reduced the effects of bad annotation and genomic gaps on the identification of de novo genes. Through this analysis, we have found 84 new genes originating de novo from previously noncoding regions, 87% of which are very likely involved in various biological processes. We noticed that 10% and 33% of de novo genes were only expressed and translated under specific conditions, therefore, verification of de novo genes through transcriptome and ribosome profiling, especially from limited expression data, may underestimate the number of bona fide new genes. We further show that SNP/indel mutation, high GC content, and DNA shuffling could be involved in the birth of de novo genes, while domestication and natural selection drive the spread and fixation of these genes. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting the possible parallel origin of a new gene.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Szeliga ◽  
Zsolt Kasztovszky ◽  
Grzegorz Osipowicz ◽  
Veronika Szilágyi

Abstract The inflow of the Carpathian obsidian into the areas on the northern side of the Carpathians and the Sudetes is confirmed as early as in the Palaeolithic. However, its greatest intensity occurred in the Early Neolithic, i. e. in the late 6th and in the first half of 5th millennia BC. During that period, the phenomenon was closely related with the development of the Danubian cultural groups in the upper Vistula river basin, including especially Linear Pottery culture (LBK) and Malice Culture. The constant presence of this raw material products in mentioned areas is documented from the classical (musical-note) phase of LBK, constituting one of the most expressive pieces of evidence of permanent and intense intercultural contacts with communities of the northern Carpathian Basin. This phenomenon has been repeatedly emphasized in the literature. One of the most numerous LBK obsidian inventories in the upper Vistula river basin was obtained at site 6 in Tominy, located in southern Poland, in the non-loess zone of the Sandomierz Upland northern foreground. The above-mentioned collection, its non-destructive elemental analysis, using Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) and also traceological analysis, is the subject of this article. The results supplement the published data to a significant extent, simultaneously providing partial verification and updating of the current state of knowledge on the basic issues related to the Early Neolithic obsidian inflow into areas located North of the Carpathians, including primarily the origin of the raw material, the scale of its processing and distribution ways, as well as the range of its use by the LBK communities.


Genetics ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-589
Author(s):  
Martin L Tracey ◽  
Francisco J Ayala

ABSTRACT Recent studies of genetically controlled enzyme variation lead to an estimation that at least 30 to 60% of the structural genes are polymorphic in natural populations of many vertebrate and invertebrate species. Some authors have argued that a substantial proportion of these polymorphisms cannot be maintained by natural selection because this would result in an unbearable genetic load. If many polymorphisms are maintained by heterotic natural selection, individuals with much greater than average proportion of homozygous loci should have very low fitness. We have measured in Drosophila melanogaster the fitness of flies homozygous for a complete chromosome relative to normal wild flies. A total of 37 chromosomes from a natural population have been tested using 92 experimental populations. The mean fitness of homozygous flies is 0.12 for second chromosomes, and 0.13 for third chromosomes. These estimates are compatible with the hypothesis that many (more than one thousand) loci are maintained by heterotic selection in natural populations of D. melanogaster.


2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 621-630
Author(s):  
Sowmya Ramaswamy Krishnan ◽  
Navneet Bung ◽  
Gopalakrishnan Bulusu ◽  
Arijit Roy

Nephron ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Takahiro Tsuji ◽  
Sari Iwasaki ◽  
Keishi Makita ◽  
Teppei Imamoto ◽  
Naomichi Ishidate ◽  
...  

<b><i>Aim:</i></b> Chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (CAABMR) is an important cause of late-stage renal allograft loss. Early inflammatory events such as acute rejection and infection after transplantation are considered to be the risk factors of de novo donor-specific antibody (dnDSA) production. In this study, we investigated the relationship between pre­disposing T-cell-mediated rejection and dnDSA-positive CAABMR. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We recruited 365 patients who underwent ABO-compatible renal transplantation at our hospital. Among them, 16 patients diagnosed as having dnDSA-positive CAABMR were designated as a CAABMR group, and 38 randomly selected patients were designated as a control group. All biopsies from 1 month after transplantation were included in the study. The presence or absence of borderline changes (BLCs), acute T-cell-mediated rejection (ATMR), microvascular inflammation (MVI), and C4d positive on peritubular capillaries (C4d-P) was examined. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In the CAABMR group, BLC/ATMR was found in 12 cases (75%), and the mean duration until appearance of BLC/ATMR was 282.7 ± 328.7 days. C4d-P was found in 11 cases (68.8%), and the mean duration until its appearance was 1,432 ± 1,307 days. MVI was found in all cases, and the mean duration until its appearance was 1,333 ± 1,126 days. The mean duration until diagnosis of CAABMR was 2,268 ± 1,191 days. In the control group, BLC/ATMR was found in 13 cases (34.2%), and the mean duration until the appearance of BLC/ATMR was 173.1 ± 170.4 days. C4d-P was found in 2 cases (5.3%), and the durations until its appearance were 748 and 1,881 days. No cases of MVI were found in the control group. The frequency of BLC/ATMR was significantly higher in the CAABMR group (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Preceding BLC/ATMR is associated with the development of CAABMR with dnDSA.


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