Abstract
This paper attempts to provide a biochemical explanation for selection against extreme phenotypes. From current ideas on the analysis of metabolic control, it is argued that, on average, most mutations will reduce flux through metabolic pathways and change substrate pool concentrations in an arbitrary direction. Currently available experimental data suggests that there may be a positive relationship between flux and fitness. It is also argued that there may be a relationship between phenotypic traits and substrate pool concentrations. Given these premises, it is shown that intrinsic selective constraints occur against the production of extreme phenotypic variants.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Charlesworth, B, Lande, R, and Slatkin, M. 1982. A neo-Darwinian commentary on macroevolution. Evolution, 36, 474–498.
Dykhuizen, D E, Dean, A M, and Hartl, D L. 1987. Metabolic flux and fitness. Genetics, 115, 25–31.
Endler, J A. 1986. Natural Selection in the Wild. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Haldane, J B S. 1954. The measurement of natural selection. Proc 9th Inter Cong Genet, 1, 480–487.
Hartl, D L, Dykhuizen, D E, and Dean, A M. 1985. Limits of adaptation: the evolution of selective neutrality. Genetics, IJJ, 655–674.
Heinrich, R, and Rapoport, T A. 1974. A linear steady state treatment of enzyme chains. Eur J Biochem, 42, 89–102.
Kacser, H, and Burns, J A. 1973. The control of flux. Symp Soc Exp Biol, 27, 65–104.
Kacser, H, and Burns, J A. 1981. The molecular basis of dominance. Genetics, 97, 639–666.
Kimura, M. 1979. Model of effectively neutral mutations in which selective constraint is incorporated. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA, 76, 3440–3444.
Kimura, M. 1983. The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Lande, R. 1976. The maintenance of genetic variability by mutation in a polygenic character with linked loci. Genet Res Camb, 26, 221–235.
Macdonald, R G, Pfeffer, S R, Coussens, L, Tepper, M A, Brocklebank, C M, Mole, J E, Anderson, J K, Chen, E, Czech, M P, and Ullrich, A. 1988. A single receptor binds both insulin-like growth factor II and mannose-6-phosphate. Science, 239, 1134–1137.
Mather, K. 1987. Consequences of stabilising selection for polygenic variation. Heredity, 58, 267–277.
Middleton, R J, and Kacser, H. 1983. Enzyme variation, metabolic flux and fitness: alcohol dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics, 105, 633–650.
Ohta, T. 1977. Extension tothe neutral mutation random drift hypothesis. In Kimura, M. (ed.) Molecular Evolution and Polymorphism, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, pp. 148–167.
Petkovich, M, Brand, N J, Krust, A, and Chambon, P. 1987. A human retinoic acid receptor which belongs to the family of nuclear receptors. Nature, 330, 444–450.
Salter, M, Knowles, R G, and Pogson, C I. 1986. Quantification of the importance of individual steps in the control of aromatic amino acid metabolism. Biochem J, 234, 635–647.
Slatkin, M. 1987. Quantitative genetics of heterochrony. Evolution, 41, 799–811.
Thaller, C, and Eichelle, G. 1987. Identification and spatial distribution of retinoids in the developing chick limb. Nature, 327, 625–628.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beaumont, M. Stabilizing selection and metabolism. Heredity 61, 433–438 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1988.135
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1988.135