Description
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Abstract Stochastic noise in gene expression causes variation in the development of phenotypes, making such noise a potential target of stabilizing selection. Here we develop a new simulation model of gene networks to study the adaptive landscape underlying the evolution of robustness to noise. We find that epistatic interactions between the determinants of the expression of a gene and its downstream effect impose significant constraints on evolution, but these interactions do allow the gradual evolution of increased robustness. Despite strong sign epistasis, adaptation rarely proceeds via deleterious intermediate steps, but instead occurs primarily through small beneficial mutations. A simple mathematical model captures the relevant features of the single-gene fitness landscape and explains counterintuitive patterns, such as a correlation between the mean and standard deviation of phenotypes. In more complex networks, mutations in regulatory regions provide evolutionary pathways to increased robustness. These results chart the constraints and possibilities of adaptation to reduce expression noise and demonstrate the potential of a novel modeling framework for gene networks. (2020-06-24)
Usage notes Part APart A--use "cat" utility to reassemble into a zipped folder containing the complete code and data files.dryad_files_a Part BPart B--use "cat" utility to reassemble into a zipped folder containing the complete code and data files.dryad_files_b Part CPart C--use "cat" utility to reassemble into a zipped folder containing the complete code and data files.dryad_files_c (2020-06-24)
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Notes
| Dryad version number: 1
Version status: submitted
Dryad curation status: Published
Sharing link: https://datadryad.org/stash/share/iXyVyZF-e3_-bHEaVuUWvTpHHH39RxI5TRHSbChDHaE
Storage size: 1830463746
Visibility: public |