A method for detecting natural selection at single amino acid substitutions and its applications

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26650134
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI YOSHIYUKI 名古屋市立大学, 大学院システム自然科学研究科, 教授 (70353430)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 分子進化 / 自然選択 / 同義置換 / 非同義置換 / インフルエンザウイルス / ヘマグルチニン / 免疫逃避 / 糖鎖

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, a method for detecting natural selection at single amino acid substitutions is developed and applied to infer the evolutionary mechanism operating on the change in the number of N-liked glycosylation sites in the hemagglutinin protein of H3N2 human influenza A virus. Positive selection is detected for the amino acid substitutions generating N-linked glycosylation sites, suggesting that N-linked glycans shield antigenic sites from immune responses. The method developed in the present study is applicable to a wide variety of evolutionary problems and the results obtained from the analysis of influenza A virus are useful for prophylaxis and treatment against influenza A virus.

Free Research Field

分子進化学