title: Adjusting for selection on synonymous sites in estimates of evolutionary distance.
abstract: Evolution at silent sites is often used to estimate the pace of selectively neutral processes or to infer differences in divergence times of genes. However, silent sites are subject to selection in favor of preferred codons, and the strength of such selection varies dramatically across genes. Here, we use the relationship between codon bias and synonymous divergence observed in four species of the genus Saccharomyces to provide a simple correction for selection on silent sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hirsh
authors.forename: Hunter B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics*; D012440:Saccharomyces / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D004247:DNA