The extinction time under mutational meltdown driven by high mutation rates.

ABSTRACT: Mutational meltdown describes an eco-evolutionary process in which the accumulation of deleterious mutations causes a fitness decline that eventually leads to the extinction of a population. Possible applications of this concept include medical treatment of RNA virus infections based on mutagenic drugs that increase the mutation rate of the pathogen. To determine the usefulness and expected success of such an antiviral treatment, estimates of the expected time to mutational meltdown are necessary. Here, we compute the extinction time of a population under high mutation rates, using both analytical approaches and stochastic simulations. Extinction is the result of three consecutive processes: (a) initial accumulation of deleterious mutations due to the increased mutation pressure; (b) conse

SUBMITTER: Lansch-Justen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9257376 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature