Inferring the strength of selection in Drosophila under complex demographic models.

ABSTRACT: Transposable elements (TEs) constitute a substantial fraction of the genomes of many species, and it is thus important to understand their population dynamics. The strength of natural selection against TEs is a key parameter in understanding these dynamics. In principle, the strength of selection can be inferred from the frequencies of a sample of TEs. However, complicated demographic histories, such as found in Drosophila melanogaster, could lead to a substantial distortion of the TE frequency distribution compared with that expected for a panmictic, constant-sized population. The current methodology for the estimation of selection intensity acting against TEs does not take into account demographic history and might generate erroneous estimates especially for TE families under weak select

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2767090 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature