Nonequilibrium model for estimating parameters of deleterious mutations

• Author(s): Gordo, I. ; Dionisio, F.
• Date: 2005
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.7/91
• Origin: ARCA - Access to Research and Communication Annals
• Subject(s): Evolution; Genetic Variation/genetics; Genetics, Population/methods; Models, Genetic; Mutation/genetics; Population Dynamics; Selection, Genetic
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Deleterious mutations are of extreme evolutionary importance because, even though they are eliminated by natural selection, their continuous pressure creates a pool of variability in natural populations. They are of potential relevance for the existence of several features in evolution, such as sexual reproduction, and pose a risk to small asexual populations. Despite their extreme importance, the deleterious mutation rate and the effects of each mutation on fitness are poorly known quantities. Here we analyze a simple model that can be applied to simple experiments, in microorganisms, aiming at the quantification of these values.