[A possible role of genetic translation ambiguity in evolution ].
A hypothesis has been suggested that the variability of translation machinery is one of the key factors of evolutionary transformations of genetic material. It considers a module principle of the evolution theory based on the concepts of duplication and divergence of genetic material, which is required for origination of new genes and proteins with new functions. The duplication results in the appearance of pseudogenes, functionally inactive, but serving a material for creating new functions. The possible mechanisms changing the translation machinery have been considered, which may lead to the sporadic pseudogene activation "supplying" natural selection with mutational changes accumulated by pseudogenes to assess their adaptive value. This takes into account not only potential possibilities of mutational variability of the translation machinery, but also the possibility of protein prioritization: a prion mechanism of inheritance is also considered which is intensively studied nowadays.
Inge-Vechtomov
S G
SG
St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia. inge@mailru.com
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010454:Peptide Termination Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011544:Pseudogenes
D010454:Peptide Termination Factors; D011328:Prions