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Science 8 January 1993:
Vol. 259. no. 5092, pp. 188 - 194
DOI: 10.1126/science.7678468
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Articles

Science, Vol 259, Issue 5092, 188-194
Copyright © 1993 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

The directed mutation controversy and neo-Darwinism

RE Lenski and JE Mittler

Center for Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.

According to neo-Darwinian theory, random mutation produces genetic differences among organisms whereas natural selection tends to increase the frequency of advantageous alleles. However, several recent papers claim that certain mutations in bacteria and yeast occur at much higher rates specifically when the mutant phenotypes are advantageous. Various molecular models have been proposed that might explain these directed mutations, but the models have not been confirmed. Critics contend that studies purporting to demonstrate directed mutation lack certain controls and fail to account adequately for population dynamics. Further experiments that address these criticisms do not support the existence of directed mutations.


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Genetic and Epigenetic Modeling of the Origins of Multidrug-Resistant Cells in a Human Sarcoma Cell Line.
K. G. Chen, Y. C. Wang, M. E. Schaner, B. Francisco, G. E. Duran, D. Juric, L. M. Huff, H. Padilla-Nash, T. Ried, T. Fojo, et al. (2005)
Cancer Res. 65, 9388-9397
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Adaptive Point Mutation and Adaptive Amplification Pathways in the Escherichia coli Lac System: Stress Responses Producing Genetic Change.
S. M. Rosenberg and P. J. Hastings (2004)
J. Bacteriol. 186, 4838-4843
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General Stress Response Regulator RpoS in Adaptive Mutation and Amplification in Escherichia coli.
M.-J. Lombardo, I. Aponyi, and S. M. Rosenberg (2004)
Genetics 166, 669-680
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Regulating General Mutation Rates: Examination of the Hypermutable State Model for Cairnsian Adaptive Mutation.
J. R. Roth, E. Kofoid, F. P. Roth, O. G. Berg, J. Seger, and D. I. Andersson (2003)
Genetics 163, 1483-1496
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Role of Genomic Typing in Taxonomy, Evolutionary Genetics, and Microbial Epidemiology.
A. van Belkum, M. Struelens, A. de Visser, H. Verbrugh, and M. Tibayrenc (2001)
Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 14, 547-560
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Promoter-creating mutations in Pseudomonas putida: A model system for the study of mutation in starving bacteria.
L. Kasak, R. Horak, and M. Kivisaar (1997)
PNAS 94, 3134-3139
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"Adaptive mutation": the debate goes on.
R. Lenski and P. Sniegowski (1995)
Science 269, 285-288
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Adaptive mutation in Escherichia coli: a role for conjugation.
J. Radicella, P. Park, and M. Fox (1995)
Science 268, 418-420
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Evidence that F plasmid transfer replication underlies apparent adaptive mutation.
T Galitski and Roth JR (1995)
Science 268, 421-423
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The evolution of genetic intelligence.
D. Thaler (1994)
Science 264, 224-225
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Recombination in adaptive mutation.
R. Harris, S Longerich, and S. Rosenberg (1994)
Science 264, 258-260
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Response.
R. E. Lenski and J. E. Mittler (1993)
Science 262, 318-319
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