Evolutionary Genetics of Sod and Four Other Genes

Fitch, Walter M.

Abstract

This project seeks to elucidate outstanding questions concerning rates of molecular evolution and the forces which determine these rates a model system for understanding molecular and the effects of DNA and protein changes. Understanding of these processes will contribute to the understanding of the human genome and the genetic variation within human populations. DNA sequences contain an enormous amount of information about the evolutionary relationships among organisms. One important heuristic tool for interpreting sequence information is the """"""""molecular clock,"""""""" but the properties of the clock are not well known. Critical information about the molecular clock will be obtained by sequencing approximately 2000 base pairs DNA from each of five loci from each of fifteen dipteran species. Some of the sequences will be analyzed in comparison to homologous sequences in humans and other mammals to investigate the rate of evolution over the whole sequence and with respect to particular regions and site (silent, replacement, intron and flanking sites) A variety of models of molecular evolution will be tested with the data.

Funding Agency

• Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Institute: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
• Type: Research Program Projects (P01)
• Project #: 5P01GM042397-04
• Application #: 3756423
• Support Year: 4
• Fiscal Year: 1994

Institution

• Name: University of California Irvine
• DUNS #: 161202122
• City: Irvine
• State: CA
• Country: United States
• Zip Code: 92697

Publications

Balakirev, Evgeniy S; Anisimova, Maria; Ayala, Francisco J (2006) Positive and negative selection in the beta-esterase gene cluster of the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup. J Mol Evol 62:496-510

Balakirev, Evgeniy S; Chechetkin, Vladimir R; Lobzin, Vasily V et al. (2005) Entropy and GC Content in the beta-esterase gene cluster of the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup. Mol Biol Evol 22:2063-72

Rodriguez-Trelles, Francisco; Tarrio, Rosa; Ayala, Francisco J (2005) Is ectopic expression caused by deregulatory mutations or due to gene-regulation leaks with evolutionary potential? Bioessays 27:592-601

Balakirev, Evgeniy S; Ayala, Francisco J (2004) The beta-esterase gene cluster of drosophila melanogaster: is psiEst-6 a pseudogene, a functional gene, or both? Genetica 121:165-79

Balakirev, E S; Ayala, F J (2004) [Pseudogenes: structure conservation, expression, and functions] Zh Obshch Biol 65:306-21

Leclerc, M C; Durand, P; Gauthier, C et al. (2004) Meager genetic variability of the human malaria agent Plasmodium vivax. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:14455-60

Balakirev, Evgeniy S; Ayala, Francisco J (2004) Nucleotide variation in the tinman and bagpipe homeobox genes of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 166:1845-56

Saenz-de-Miera, L E; Ayala, F J (2004) Complex evolution of orthologous and paralogous decarboxylase genes. J Evol Biol 17:55-66

Haag, K L; Alves-Junior, L; Zaha, A et al. (2004) Contingent, non-neutral evolution in a multicellular parasite: natural selection and gene conversion in the Echinococcus granulosus antigen B gene family. Gene 333:157-67

Arend, A C; Zaha, A; Ayala, F J et al. (2004) The Echinococcus granulosus antigen B shows a high degree of genetic variability. Exp Parasitol 108:76-80