Positive selection for unpreferred codon usage in eukaryotic genomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Natural selection has traditionally been understood as a force responsible for pushing genes to states of higher translational efficiency, whereas lower translational efficiency has been explained by neutral mutation and genetic drift. We looked for evidence of directional selection resulting in increased unpreferred codon usage (and presumably reduced translational efficiency) in three divergent clusters of eukaryotic genomes using a simple optimal-codon-based metric (Kp/Ku).

Results

Here we show that for some genes natural selection is indeed responsible for causing accelerated unpreferred codon substitution, and document the scope of this selection. In Cryptococcus and to a lesser extent Drosophila, we find many genes showing a statistically significant signal

SUBMITTER: Neafsey DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1936986 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature