title: Synonymous codon bias is not caused by mutation bias in G+C-rich genes in humans.
abstract: It is has been suggested that synonymous codon bias is a consequence of mutation bias in mammals. We tested this hypothesis in humans using single-nucleotide polymorphism data. We found a pattern of polymorphism which was inconsistent with the mutation bias hypothesis in G+C-rich genes. However, the data were consistent with the action of natural selection or biased gene conversion. Similar patterns of polymorphism were also observed in noncoding DNA, suggesting that natural selection or biased gene conversion may affect large tracts of the human genome.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Evolution and School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, England.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eyre-Walker
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics*; D018899:CpG Islands; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D020862:GC Rich Sequence; D005785:Gene Conversion; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D016324:Sequence Tagged Sites
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D021901:DNA, Intergenic