SELFISH DNA: A SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED NUCLEAR PARASITE

A quantitative population genetics model for the evolution of transposable genetic elements is developed. This model shows that "selfish" DNA sequences do not have to be selectively neutral at the organismic level; indeed, such DNA can produce major deleterious effects in the host organism...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Genetics (Austin) Vol. 101; no. 3-4; pp. 519 - 531
Main Author:	Hickey, Donal A
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States Genetics Soc America 01-07-1982
Subjects:	Base Sequence Biological Evolution DNA - physiology DNA Replication DNA Transposable Elements Genetics, Population Investigations
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	A quantitative population genetics model for the evolution of transposable genetic elements is developed. This model shows that "selfish" DNA sequences do not have to be selectively neutral at the organismic level; indeed, such DNA can produce major deleterious effects in the host organism and still spread through the population. The model can be used to explain the evolution of introns within eukaryotic genes; this explanation does not invoke a long-term evolutionary advantage for introns, nor does it depend on the hypothesis that eukaryotic gene structure may be an evolutionary relic. Transposable genes that carried information specifying sexual reproduction in the host organism would favor their own spread. Consequently, it is tempting to speculate that some of the genes controlling sex were originally selected as transposable elements.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	0016-6731 1943-2631 1943-2631
DOI:	10.1093/genetics/101.3-4.519