Modelling neutral and selective evolution of protein folding.
We examine a model evolutionary space consisting of genotypes mapped to their corresponding phenotypes. This mapping is derived from a lattice model for proteins which, despite its highly idealized nature, has been shown to share general properties with real proteins. Large evolutionary networks are observed, with genotypes corresponding to non-lethal phenotypes linked by unit mutational steps. Neutral mutations are necessary for traversing the evolutionary networks, and even one neutral mutation in a genotype can change the phenotypes attainable by a unit mutational step.
National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland 20894.
D J
DJ
Lipman
W J
WJ
Wilbur
D005075:Biological Evolution; D005838:Genotype; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic
D011506:Proteins