Evolution selection

The classic microbiological approach of genetic complementation can be very useful as a directed evolution selection [38,39]. The activity being investigated is intrinsically linked to... 

When evolution selects the genes that build the parts of brains (modules) that produce a particular kind of behaviour, and evolution selects them because of the fitness benefits of that kind of behaviour, we have the conditions for a perfect evolutionary psychological explanation. 

For some recent reviews on enzyme modification see (a) Reetz, M.T., Evolution in the test-tube as a means to creat selective biocatalysts. Chimia, 2007,61, 100-103 (b) Sylvestre, J., Chautard, H., Cedrone, E. and Delcourt, M., Directed evolution of biocatalysts. Org. Proc. Res. Dev., 2006, 10, 562-571 (c) Hibbert, E.G. and Dalby, P.A., Directed evolution strategies for improved enzymatic performance. Microb. Cell Fact., 2004, 4, 29 (d) Otten, L.G. and Quax, W.J., Directed evolution selecting today s biocatalysts. Biomol. Eng., 2005, 22, 1-9. 

Other selective pressures must also have operated throughout evolution, selecting for regulatory mechanisms that... 

Goode J. and D.J. Chadwick Antibiotic Resistance, Origins, Evolution. Selection and Spread. Vol. 207, John Wiley Sons. Inc.. New York, NY, 1997. 

The simulations and theoretical arguments [71] predict that at high Ts, the sequence free energy Fs dominates and the sequence tends to be completely random, corresponding to the minimum of Fs. At low Ts, the evolution selects those sequences, which correspond to the low value of the conformation... 

Piattelli-Palmarini, M. 1989. Evolution, selection and cognition. Cognition, 31, 1 —44. 

Recent results include the isolation of a clone, 104G5 with 14 times higher tolerance to 02 than the WT (obtained by the application of one round of photoreductive selective pressure) and the isolation of first and second generation mutants with, respectively, 3-4 and 10 times higher tolerance to 02 than the WT (by application of two rounds of the H2-evolution selective pressure). 

Figure 1.2 A possible time line for biochemical evolution. Selected key events are indicated. Note that life on Earth began approximately 3.5 billion years ago, whereas human beings emerged quite recently,...

The above results raise an intriguing question Why has evolution selected such a quite elaborate control mechanism for an enzyme that catalyzes a relatively simple, one-electron transfer process This question becomes even more puzzling in view of the fact that some bacteria employ a copper-containing... 

The simulations and theoretical arguments predict that at high Tj, the sequence free energy P, dominates and the sequence tends to be completely random, corresponding to the minimum of Fj. At low Tj, the evolution selects those sequences, which correspond to the low value of the conformation free energy (structure of the core-tail typ>e). In the intermediate regime, there is an interplay between the conformational thermodynamic force and the sequence contribution (evolution pressure). Therefore, the formation of nontrivial stractures and sequences is possible. Even in the absence of attraction between P units, the final sequences remain protein-Uke (i.e., the final copolymer has the core-shell stracture of a globule) and therefore maintain certain information complexity. 

Otten LG, Quax WJ. Directed evolution selecting today s biocatalysts. Biomol Eng 2005 22 1-9. 

---