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Published Online May 24, 2007
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1140247

Reports

Submitted on January 22, 2007
Accepted on May 10, 2007

Genetic Properties Influencing the Evolvability of Gene Expression

Christian R. Landry 1*, Bernardo Lemos 2*, Scott A. Rifkin 3, W. J. Dickinson 4, Daniel L. Hartl 2

1 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA; Current address: Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, 2900 Blvd. Edouard-Montpetit, Montréal, Qc H3T 1J4, Canada.
2 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.
3 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.; Current address: Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02139, USA.
4 Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Christian R. Landry , E-mail: clandry{at}post.harvard.edu
Bernardo Lemos , E-mail: blemos{at}oeb.harvard.edu

Identifying the properties of gene networks that influence their evolution is a fundamental research goal. However, modes of evolution cannot be inferred solely from the distribution of natural variation because selection interacts with demography and mutation rates to shape polymorphism and divergence. Here we estimate the effects of naturally occurring mutations on gene expression while minimizing the effect of natural selection. We demonstrate that sensitivity of gene expression to mutations increases with both increasing trans-mutational target size and the presence of a TATA-box. Genes with greater sensitivity to mutations are also more sensitive to systematic environmental perturbations and stochastic noise. These results provide a mechanistic basis for gene expression evolvability that can serve as a foundation for realistic models of regulatory evolution.


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