title: Evolutionary dynamics of restriction site avoidance.
abstract: Molecular noise in bacterial restriction-modification systems can cause rare events of host DNA cleavage at restriction sites. Such noise-induced selective pressure may result in evolved sequences exhibiting restriction site avoidance. We identify a two-state regime of evolutionary dynamics, in which populations either develop avoidance or go extinct. Using perturbation theory, we show that equilibrium sequence statistics exhibit power-law scaling in the ratio of restriction strength to mutation rate. Noise levels comparable to mutation rates can be sufficient to evolve detectable avoidance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, New York 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Edo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kussell
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000378:metabolism; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes