Rapid Evolution of cis-Regulatory Sequences via Local Point Mutations
Open Access
- 1 September 2001
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Molecular Biology and Evolution
- Vol. 18 (9) , 1764-1770
- https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003964
Abstract
Although the evolution of protein-coding sequences within genomes is well understood, the same cannot be said of the cis-regulatory regions that control transcription. Yet, changes in gene expression are likely to constitute an important component of phenotypic evolution. We simulated the evolution of new transcription factor binding sites via local point mutations. The results indicate that new binding sites appear and become fixed within populations on microevolutionary timescales under an assumption of neutral evolution. Even combinations of two new binding sites evolve very quickly. We predict that local point mutations continually generate considerable genetic variation that is capable of altering gene expression.Keywords
This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- Identification of Conserved Potentially Regulatory Sequences of the SRY Gene from 10 Different Species of MammalsBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1998
- The Rat Growth Hormone and Human Cellular Retinol Binding Protein 1 Genes Share Homologous NF1-Like Binding Sites That Exert Either Positive or Negative Influences on Gene ExpressionIn VitroDNA and Cell Biology, 1997
- Conservation of function and expression of unc-119 from two Caenorhabditis species despite divergence of non-coding DNAGene, 1996
- Disruption of a GATA motif in the Duffy gene promoter abolishes erythroid gene expression in Duffy–negative individualsNature Genetics, 1995
- Correlated evolution of the cis‐acting regulatory elements and developmental expression of the Drosophila Gld gene in seven species from the subgroup melanogasterDevelopmental Genetics, 1994
- The joint distribution of patterns in random sequences with application to the RC-measure for expressivityBioinformatics, 1993
- Exact computation of pattern probabilities in random sequences generated by Markov chainsBioinformatics, 1989
- Spatially deranged though temporally correct expression of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus actin gene fusion in transgenic embryos of a different sea urchin family.Genes & Development, 1987
- Evolutionary trees from DNA sequences: A maximum likelihood approachJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1981
- A simple method for estimating evolutionary rates of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequencesJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1980