Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2014 Apr 2;9(4):e92587. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092587. eCollection 2014.
As species evolve, they become adapted to their local environments. Detecting the genetic signature of selection and connecting that to the phenotype of the organism, however, is challenging. Here we report using an integrative approach that combines DNA sequencing with structural biology analyses to assess the effect of selection on residues in the mitochondrial DNA of the two species of African elephants. We detected evidence of positive selection acting on residues in complexes I and V, and we used homology protein structure modeling to assess the effect of the biochemical properties of the selected residues on the enzyme structure. Given the role these enzymes play in oxidative phosphorylation, we propose that the selected residues may contribute to the metabolic adaptation of forest and savanna elephants to their unique habitats.
随着物种的进化，它们会逐渐适应其所在的环境。然而，检测选择的遗传特征并将其与生物体的表型联系起来具有一定的挑战性。在这里，我们报告了一种整合方法，该方法将 DNA 测序与结构生物学分析相结合，以评估选择对两种非洲象线粒体 DNA 中残基的影响。我们检测到作用于复合物 I 和 V 中残基的正选择证据，并且我们使用同源蛋白结构建模来评估所选残基的生化特性对酶结构的影响。鉴于这些酶在氧化磷酸化中的作用，我们提出所选残基可能有助于森林象和草原象适应其独特的栖息地的代谢。
