High direct estimate of the mutation rate in the mitochondrial genome of Caenorhabditis elegans.
Mutations in the mitochondrial genome have been implicated in numerous human genetic disorders and offer important data for phylogenetic, forensic, and population genetic studies. Using a long-term series of Caenorhabditis elegans mutation accumulation lines, we performed a wide-scale screen for mutations in the mitochondrial genome that revealed a mutation rate that is two orders of magnitude higher than previous indirect estimates, a highly biased mutational spectrum, multiple mutations affecting coding function, as well as mutational hotspots at homopolymeric nucleotide stretches.
Denver
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DR
Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
Morris
K
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Lynch
M
M
Vassilieva
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LL
Thomas
W K
WK
D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D020029:Base Pairing; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D016678:Genome; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009154:Mutation; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017354:Point Mutation; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017384:Sequence Deletion
D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012345:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acid-Specific; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase