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Evolutionary biology

A ratchet for protein complexity

Nature volume 481, pages 270–271 (2012)Cite this article

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Molecular machines containing related protein subunits are common in cells. Reconstruction of ancient proteins suggests that this type of complexity can evolve in the absence of any initial selective advantage. See Letter p.360

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Figure 1: Evolution of complexity in a protein ring.

Notes

  1. *This article and the paper1 under discussion were published online on 8 January 2012.

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  1. W. Ford Doolittle is in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.,

    W. Ford Doolittle

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  1. W. Ford Doolittle
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Correspondence to W. Ford Doolittle.

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Doolittle, W. A ratchet for protein complexity. Nature 481, 270–271 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10816

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