Decanalizing thinking on genetic canalization

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
Kerry Geiler-SamerotteMark L Siegal

Abstract

The concept of genetic canalization has had an abiding influence on views of complex-trait evolution. A genetically canalized system has evolved to become less sensitive to the effects of mutation. When a gene product that supports canalization is compromised, the phenotypic impacts of a mutation should be more pronounced. This expected increase in mutational effects not only has important consequences for evolution, but has also motivated strategies to treat disease. However, recent studies demonstrate that, when putative agents of genetic canalization are impaired, systems do not behave as expected. Here, we review the evidence that is used to infer whether particular gene products are agents of genetic canalization. Then we explain how such inferences often succumb to a converse error. We go on to show that several candidate agents of genetic canalization increase the phenotypic impacts of some mutations while decreasing the phenotypic impacts of others. These observations suggest that whether a gene product acts as a 'buffer' (lessening mutational effects) or a 'potentiator' (increasing mutational effects) is not a fixed property of the gene product but instead differs for the different mutations with which it interacts. To...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 18, 2019·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part A, Ecological and Integrative Physiology·Samantha HughesAtsuko Sato
Jun 21, 2020·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Maria Pesevski, Ian Dworkin
Oct 6, 2018·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Atsuko Sato
Feb 6, 2020·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution·Steven Q Irvine
Feb 28, 2019·Frontiers in Genetics·Ceferino Varón-GonzálezNicolas Navarro
Sep 9, 2020·Annual Review of Genetics·Christopher M Jakobson, Daniel F Jarosz
Feb 17, 2021·PLoS Computational Biology·Philipp Mitteroecker, Ekaterina Stansfield
Oct 30, 2020·Nature Communications·Wen HuangTrudy F C Mackay
Feb 9, 2021·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Camillo Thomas Gualtieri
Feb 20, 2021·Journal of Molecular Evolution·Sergio A Muñoz-GómezKerry Geiler-Samerotte
Apr 2, 2021·Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology·Shizheng QiuYang Hu
Apr 24, 2021·Attachment & Human Development·John D HaltiganSoha Khorsand

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