Fine-tuning germline mutation rates across evolution

Stephen J Bush; Anne Goriely

doi:10.1016/j.tig.2023.05.001

Fine-tuning germline mutation rates across evolution

Trends Genet. 2023 Aug;39(8):598-599. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.05.001. Epub 2023 May 25.

Authors

Stephen J Bush¹, Anne Goriely²

Affiliations

¹ MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
² MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Electronic address: Anne.Goriely@imm.ox.ac.uk.

Abstract

The germline mutation rate (GMR) sets the pace at which mutations, the raw material of evolution, are introduced into the genome. By sequencing a dataset of unprecedently broad phylogenetic scope, Bergeron et al. estimated species-specific GMR, offering numerous insights into how this parameter shapes and is shaped by life-history traits.

MeSH terms

Evolution, Molecular*
Germ-Line Mutation* / genetics
Mutation
Mutation Rate
Phylogeny