title: Exploring the common molecular basis for the universal DNA mutation bias: revival of Löwdin mutation model.
abstract: Recently, numerous genome analyses revealed the existence of a universal G:C→A:T mutation bias in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. To explore the molecular basis for this mutation bias, we examined the three well-known DNA mutation models, i.e., oxidative damage model, UV-radiation damage model and CpG hypermutation model. It was revealed that these models cannot provide a sufficient explanation to the universal mutation bias. Therefore, we resorted to a DNA mutation model proposed by Löwdin 40 years ago, which was based on inter-base double proton transfers (DPT). Since DPT is a fundamental and spontaneous chemical process and occurs much more frequently within GC pairs than AT pairs, Löwdin model offers a common explanation for the observed universal mutation bias and thus has broad biological implications.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
authors.forename: Liang-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Guang-Zhong
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bin-Guang
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D004247:DNA