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Document 0937
DOCN M9650937
TI Reciprocal relationship between stem-loop potential and substitution
density in retroviral quasispecies under positive Darwinian selection.
DT 9505
AU Forsdyke DR; Department of Biochemistry, Queen's University, Kingston,;
Ontario, Canada.
SO J Mol Evol. 1995 Dec;41(6):1022-37. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
MED/96139037
AB Nucleic acids have the potential to form intrastrand stem-loops if
complementary bases are suitably located. Computer analyses of
poliovirus and retroviral RNAs have revealed a reciprocal relationship
between statistically significant stem-loop potential and sequence
variability. The statistically significant stem-loop potential of a
nucleic acid segment has been defined as a function of the difference
between the folding energy of the natural segment (FONS) and the mean
folding energy of a set of randomized (shuffled) versions of the natural
segment (FORS-M). Since FONS is dependent on both base composition and
base order, whereas FORS-M is solely dependent on base composition (a
genomic characteristic), it follows that statistically significant
stem-loop potential (FORS-D) is a function of base order (a local
characteristic). In retroviral genomes, as in all DNA genomes studied,
positive FORS-D values are widely distributed. Thus there have been
pressures on base order both to encode specific functions and to encode
stem-loops. As in the case of DNA genomes under positive Darwinian
selection pressure, in HIV-1 specific function appears to dominate in
rapidly evolving regions. Here high sequence variability, expressed as
substitution density (not indel density), is associated with negative
FORS-D values (impaired base-order-dependent stem-loop potential). This
suggests that in these regions HIV-1 genomes are under positive
selection pressure by host defenses. The general function of stem-loops
is recombination. This is a vital process if, from among members of
viral quasispecies, functional genomes are to be salvaged. Thus, for
rapidly evolving RNA genomes, it is as important to conserve
base-order-dependent stem-loop potential as to conserve other functions.
DE Base Sequence Computer Simulation Models, Theoretical *Nucleic Acid
Conformation Polioviruses/*GENETICS Recombination, Genetic
Retroviridae/*GENETICS RNA, Viral/*GENETICS Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
JOURNAL ARTICLE
SOURCE: National Library of Medicine. NOTICE: This material may be
protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).