Selection for functional uniformity of tuf duplicates in gamma-proteobacteria.
Having an extra copy of a gene is thought to provide some functional redundancy, which results in a higher rate of evolution in duplicated genes. In this article, we estimate the impact of gene duplication on the selection of tuf paralogs, and we find that in the absence of gene conversion, tuf paralogs have evolved significantly slower than when gene conversion has been a factor in their evolution. Thus, tuf gene copies evolve under a selective pressure that ensures their functional uniformity, and gene conversion reduces selection against amino acid substitutions that affect the function of the encoded protein, EF-Tu.
Kondrashov
Fyodor A
FA
Section on Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, 2218 Muir Biology Building, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. fkondrashov@ucsd.edu
Gurbich
Tatiana A
TA
Vlasov
Peter K
PK
D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D005785:Gene Conversion; D020440:Gene Duplication; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D026801:Synteny
D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu