Alpha 2.0
Login Register
» Articles » PMID: 2513255

Statistical Method for Testing the Neutral Mutation Hypothesis by DNA Polymorphism

Overview
Journal Genetics
Publisher Oxford University Press
Specialty Genetics
Date 1989 Nov 1
PMID 2513255
Citations 4679
Authors
F Tajima
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

The relationship between the two estimates of genetic variation at the DNA level, namely the number of segregating sites and the average number of nucleotide differences estimated from pairwise comparison, is investigated. It is found that the correlation between these two estimates is large when the sample size is small, and decreases slowly as the sample size increases. Using the relationship obtained, a statistical method for testing the neutral mutation hypothesis is developed. This method needs only the data of DNA polymorphism, namely the genetic variation within population at the DNA level. A simple method of computer simulation, that was used in order to obtain the distribution of a new statistic developed, is also presented. Applying this statistical method to the five regions of DNA sequences in Drosophila melanogaster, it is found that large insertion/deletion (greater than 100 bp) is deleterious. It is suggested that the natural selection against large insertion/deletion is so weak that a large amount of variation is maintained in a population.

Citing Articles

Mutations in the signal peptide of effector gene Pi04314 contribute to the adaptive evolution of the Phytophthora infestans.

Ouyang H, Wang Y, He M, Wu E, Hu B, Zhan J BMC Ecol Evol. 2025; 25(1):21.

PMID: 40082776 PMC: 11907978. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-025-02360-4.

Computational Genomics and Its Applications to Anthropological Questions.

Witt K, Villanea F Am J Biol Anthropol. 2025; 186 Suppl 78:e70010.

PMID: 40071816 PMC: 11898561. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.70010.

Population genetic structure and historical demography of Saccostrea echinata in the Northern South China sea and Beibu Gulf.

Li Y, Wang L, Wang Y, Tang Q, Liu S, Ning J Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):8261.

PMID: 40065062 PMC: 11894064. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-92747-6.

Integrative analysis of genome-wide association studies of polyphenols in apple fruits identifies the MdDof2.4 module that promotes procyanidin accumulation.

Li Z, Gao C, Fan T, Cui Y, Liu Z, Li L Hortic Res. 2025; 12(3):uhae349.

PMID: 40061802 PMC: 11890028. DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae349.

Genetic Variability of Dalbulus maidis Populations from Brazil and Their Infectivity with Pathogens of Corn Stunt Complex.

Gorayeb E, do Nascimento S, Ferreira J, de Oliveira V, Savaris D, Dos Santos Carbonari L Neotrop Entomol. 2025; 54(1):44.

PMID: 40014204 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-025-01257-7.

References
1.
Kimura M . Model of effectively neutral mutations in which selective constraint is incorporated. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979; 76(7):3440-4. PMC: 383841. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.76.7.3440. View
2.
Kimura M, Crow J . THE NUMBER OF ALLELES THAT CAN BE MAINTAINED IN A FINITE POPULATION. Genetics. 1964; 49:725-38. PMC: 1210609. DOI: 10.1093/genetics/49.4.725. View
3.
Ota T . Mutational pressure as the main cause of molecular evolution and polymorphism. Nature. 1974; 252(5482):351-4. DOI: 10.1038/252351a0. View
4.
Lewin B . Units of transcription and translation: sequence components of heterogeneous nuclear RNA and messenger RNA. Cell. 1975; 4(2):77-93. DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(75)90113-0. View
5.
Miyashita N, Langley C . Molecular and phenotypic variation of the white locus region in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 1988; 120(1):199-212. PMC: 1203490. DOI: 10.1093/genetics/120.1.199. View