Different trajectories of parallel evolution during viral adaptation

Science. 1999 Jul 16;285(5426):422-4. doi: 10.1126/science.285.5426.422.

Abstract

The molecular basis of adaptation is a major focus of evolutionary biology, yet the dynamic process of adaptation has been explored only piecemeal. Experimental evolution of two bacteriophage lines under strong selection led to over a dozen nucleotide changes genomewide in each replicate. At least 96 percent of the amino acid substitutions appeared to be adaptive, and half the changes in one line also occurred in the other. However, the order of these changes differed between replicates, and parallel substitutions did not reflect the changes with the largest beneficial effects or indicate a common trajectory of adaptation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological*
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Bacteriophage phi X 174 / genetics*
  • Bacteriophage phi X 174 / physiology*
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Genome, Viral*
  • Genotype
  • Mutation
  • Salmonella typhimurium / virology*
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Temperature
  • Viral Plaque Assay
  • Viral Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • Viral Proteins