Abstract
We define latent genes as phenotypically silent DNA sequences which may be reactivated by various genetic mechanisms. Of interest is how they and their functional counterparts can be maintained at high frequency in the face of mutation and selection pressure. We propose a two-deme, three-allele model incorporating viability selection, mutation and migration in haploid populations. It is shown that polymorphism for the three alleles can be easily maintained for a wide range of biologically meaningful parameter values. Computer simulations were employed to gain qualitative insight into the global dynamics of the system. It was found that the dynamics of the latent allele is closely correlated with that of the functional allele. In addition, bias in the migration rates can strengthen or weaken selective conditions for preservation of the functional and latent alleles.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1,000.7 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Choo T. M. Doubled haploids for estimating mean and variance of recombination values. Genetics. 1981 Jan;97(1):165–172. doi: 10.1093/genetics/97.1.165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gallais A. Covariances between arbitrary relatives with linkage and epistasis in the case of linkage disequilibrium. Biometrics. 1974 Sep;30(3):429–446. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Haas R., Meyer T. F. The repertoire of silent pilus genes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: evidence for gene conversion. Cell. 1986 Jan 17;44(1):107–115. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90489-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hall B. G., Betts P. W. Cryptic genes for cellobiose utilization in natural isolates of Escherichia coli. Genetics. 1987 Mar;115(3):431–439. doi: 10.1093/genetics/115.3.431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hall B. G., Yokoyama S., Calhoun D. H. Role of cryptic genes in microbial evolution. Mol Biol Evol. 1983 Dec;1(1):109–124. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a040300. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kricker M., Hall B. G. Biochemical genetics of the cryptic gene system for cellobiose utilization in Escherichia coli K12. Genetics. 1987 Mar;115(3):419–429. doi: 10.1093/genetics/115.3.419. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kristiansen B. E., Sørensen B., Simonsen T., Spanne O., Lund V., Bjorvatn B. Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis from different sites in the same patient: phenotypic and genomic studies, with special reference to adherence, piliation, and DNA restriction endonuclease pattern. J Infect Dis. 1984 Sep;150(3):389–396. doi: 10.1093/infdis/150.3.389. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Leunk R. D., Moon R. J. Association of type 1 pili with the ability of livers to clear Salmonella typhimurium. Infect Immun. 1982 Jun;36(3):1168–1174. doi: 10.1128/iai.36.3.1168-1174.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Meyer T. F., Mlawer N., So M. Pilus expression in Neisseria gonorrhoeae involves chromosomal rearrangement. Cell. 1982 Aug;30(1):45–52. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90010-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Segal E., Billyard E., So M., Storzbach S., Meyer T. F. Role of chromosomal rearrangement in N. gonorrhoeae pilus phase variation. Cell. 1985 Feb;40(2):293–300. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90143-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Silverblatt F. J., Ofek I. Influence of pili on the virulence of Proteus mirabilis in experimental hematogenous pyelonephritis. J Infect Dis. 1978 Nov;138(5):664–667. doi: 10.1093/infdis/138.5.664. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Swanson J., Bergström S., Robbins K., Barrera O., Corwin D., Koomey J. M. Gene conversion involving the pilin structural gene correlates with pilus+ in equilibrium with pilus- changes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Cell. 1986 Oct 24;47(2):267–276. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90449-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]