Spontaneous mutation accumulation in multiple strains of the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

ABSTRACT: Estimates of mutational parameters, such as the average fitness effect of a new mutation and the rate at which new genetic variation for fitness is created by mutation, are important for the understanding of many biological processes. However, the causes of interspecific variation in mutational parameters and the extent to which they vary within species remain largely unknown. We maintained multiple strains of the unicellular eukaryote Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, for approximately 1000 generations under relaxed selection by transferring a single cell every ~10 generations. Mean fitness of the lines tended to decline with generations of mutation accumulation whereas mutational variance increased. We did not find any evidence for differences among strains in any of the mutational parameters e

SUBMITTER: Morgan AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4277324 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature