Evolution picks up hitchhikers: Pervasive genetic hitchhiking and clonal interference in evolving yeast populations. In a twist on "survival of the fittest," researchers have discovered that evolution is driven not by a single beneficial mutation but rather by a group of mutations, including ones called "genetic hitchhikers" that are simply along for the ride.
These hitchhikers are mutations that do not appear to have a role in contributing to an organism's fitness and therefore its evolution, yet may play an important role down the road. Researchers from Princeton University found in a study of 1,000 generations of adaptation in 40 yeast populations that about five to seven specific mutations, rather than just a one, are needed for an organism to succeed. The knowledge of how mutations drive evolution can inform our understanding of how tumors resist chemotherapeutics and how bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics. The study was published July 21 in the journal Nature. The study explored how the process of mutation and selection unfolded over time at the genetic level. Spleen. Biology. Challenges and Opportunities. Scientific innovation has been called on to spur economic recovery; science and technology are essential to improving public health and welfare and to inform sustainability; and the scientific community has been criticized for not being sufficiently accountable and transparent.
Data collection, curation, and access are central to all of these issues. For this reason, Science has joined with colleagues from our sister publications Science Signaling, Science Translational Medicine, and Science Careers to provide a broad look at the issues surrounding the increasingly huge influx of research data. The entire collection is compiled online at www.sciencem ag.org/special/data/.
Immunology. Cell Signaling. Ecology. Phylogenetics. Computational Biology News.