Low Genetic Quality Alters Key Dimensions of the Mutational Spectrum.

ABSTRACT: Mutations affect individual health, population persistence, adaptation, diversification, and genome evolution. There is evidence that the mutation rate varies among genotypes, but the causes of this variation are poorly understood. Here, we link differences in genetic quality with variation in spontaneous mutation in a Drosophila mutation accumulation experiment. We find that chromosomes maintained in low-quality genetic backgrounds experience a higher rate of indel mutation and a lower rate of gene conversion in a manner consistent with condition-based differences in the mechanisms used to repair DNA double strand breaks. These aspects of the mutational spectrum were also associated with body mass, suggesting that the effect of genetic quality on DNA repair was mediated by overall conditi

SUBMITTER: Sharp NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4807879 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature