Predicting evolutionary outcomes through the probability of accessing sequence variants.

ABSTRACT: Natural selection can only operate on available genetic variation. Thus, determining the probability of accessing different sequence variants from a starting sequence can help predict evolutionary trajectories and outcomes. We define the concept of "variant accessibility" as the probability that a set of genotypes encoding a particular protein function will arise through mutations before subject to natural selection. This probability is shaped by the mutational biases of nucleotides and the structure of the genetic code. Using the influenza A virus as a model, we discuss how a more accessible but less fit variant can emerge as an adaptation rather than a more fit variant. We describe a genotype-accessibility landscape, complementary to the genotype-fitness landscape, that informs the likel

SUBMITTER: Gunnarsson PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10381947 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature