Dykhuizen-Hartl effect
Zhang J & Rosenberg HF 2002 Complementary advantageous substitutions in the evolution of an antiviral RNase of higher primates. PNAS 99:5486-5491.
- neutral substitutions are not simply "noises" in protein evolution
- they may play constructive roles by setting the intramolecular microenvironment for further complementary advantageous substitutions
- which can lead to improved or altered function
- our study illustrates the power of the "paleomolecular biochemistry" approach in delineating the complex interplays of amino acid substitutions in evolution and in identifying the molecular basis of biological innovation
- neutral substitutions may change the protein sequence in such a way that further mutations are complementary advantageous
- in this respect, neutral substitutions are not simply "noises", as many have thought (e.g., ref. 45, p. 178)
- it is interesting to note that Kimura (ref. 43, p. 325) envisioned the importance of neutral substitutions in adaptive protein evolution by coining the term of "Dykuizen [Dykhuizen]-Hartl" effect (46)
- in which an otherwise neutral allele becomes advantageous under an altered environment
- our observation supports Kimura's idea and extends his meaning of "environment" to include all amino acid residues that interact in some fashion with the one under consideration
