Constraints on the optimization of gene product diversity

ABSTRACT: RNA and proteins can have diverse isoforms due to post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. A fundamental question is whether these isoforms are mostly beneficial or the result of noisy molecular processes. To assess the plausibility of these explanations, we developed mathematical models depicting different regulatory architectures and investigated isoform evolution under multiple population genetic regimes. We found that factors beyond selection, such as effective population size and the number of cis-acting loci, significantly influence evolutionary outcomes. We found that sub-optimal phenotypes are more likely to evolve when populations are small and/or when the number of cis-loci is large. We also discovered that opposing selection on cis- and trans-acting loci can co

SUBMITTER: Daohan Jiang 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44320-025-00095-4 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other