Summary
Routine electrophoretic surveys for genetic variation in natural populations depend primarily upon detecting differences in the net charge carried by a protein. We have calculated the proportion of base substitutions which would yield an electrophoretically detectable mutant protein, and the relative mutation rates among different charge classes, under a variety of simplifying assumptions. These calculations indicate that:
-
(i)
only 25 per cent of all single base mutations would lead to a charge change on a protein molecule.
-
(ii)
five distinct classes of electrophoretic variants can be generated from a specified protein by single base substitutions.
-
(iii)
the relative mutation rates differ markedly among the different charge classes which can be generated by single base substitutions. The estimates of the proportion of electrophoretically detectable mutant proteins and relative mutation rates among charge classes were relatively robust to changes in assumptions concerned with the kind and site of base substitutions and the amino acid composition of the protein.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ayala, F.J., Tracey, M.L., Barr, L.G., McDonald, J.F., Perez-Salas, S. (1974). Genet. 77, 343
Bernstein, S.C., Throckmorton, L.H., Hubby, J.L. (1973). Proc.Nat.Acad. Sci.USA 70, 3928
Boyer, S.H., Noyes, A.H., Timmons, C.F., Young, R.A. (1972). J.Human. Evol. 1, 515
Brown, A.H.D., Marshall, D.R.,Genet.Res. (in press)
Clarke, B. (1970). Nature 228. 159
Dayhoff, M.O., Eck, R.V., Park, C.M. (1972). In: Atlas of protein structure, M.O. Dayhoff, ed., 5, p. 89. Maryland: Nat.Biomed.Res.Found.
Epstein, C.J. (1967). Nature 215, 355
Fitch, W.M. (1973a). J.Mol.Evol. 2, 123
Fitch, W.M. (1973b). Ann.Rev.Genet. 7, 343
Huehns, E.R. (1968). In: Chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques, II: Zone electrophoresis, I. Smith Heineman, ed. London: Heinemann
Huehns, E.R., Shooter, E.M. (1965). J.med.Genet. 2, 48
Hunt, L.T., Sochard, M.R., Dayhoff, M.O. (1972). In: Atlas of protein sequence and structure, M.O.Dayhoff, ed., 5, p. 67. Maryland: Nat. Biomed.Res.Found.
Johnson, G.B. (1971). Proc.Nat.Acad.Sci. USA 68, 997
Kimura, M., Crow, J.F. (1964). Genet. 49, 725
Kimura, M. (1968). Genet.Res.11, 247
Kimura, M., Ohta, T. (1971). Nature 229, 467
King, J.L. (1973). J.Mol.Evol. 2, 317
King, J.L. (1974). Genet. 76, 607
King, J.L., Jukes, T.H. (1969). Sci. 164, 788
Lewontin, R.C. (1973). Ann.Rev.Genet. 7, 1
Maynard Smith, J. (1972). Nature New Biol. 237, 31
Nei, M., Chakraborty, R. (1974). J.Mol.Evol. 2, 323
Ohta, T. (1974). Nature 252, 351
Ohta, T., Kimura, M. (1973). Genet.Res. 22, 201
Ohta, T., Kimura, M. (1974). Genet. 76, 615
Singh, R.S., Hubby, L., Lewontin, R.C. (1974). Proc.Nat.Acad.Sci.USA 71, 1808
Vogel, F. (1972). J.Mol.Evol. 1, 334
Webster, T.P., Burns, J.M. (1973). Evol. 27, 368
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marshall, D.R., Brown, A.H.D. The charge-state model of protein polymorphism in natural populations. J Mol Evol 6, 149–163 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01732353
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01732353