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[Analysis of frequency of DR3 allele in rapidly evolutive forms of Crohn disease in adults; comparison with the occurrence of this allele in slowly evolutive forms and in the normal population].

This communication reports 1. the frequency of the DR3 allele among 86 patients exhibiting various evolutive courses of Crohn's disease (CD), diagnosed in the same hospital in Alsace, France, hospitalized at least once between 1964 and 1986 and followed for at least 1 year, 2. the frequency of the DR3 allele among a control population in the same area: 126 volunteers donors of bone marrow. The definition of the evolutive course was similar to the one published by Binder et al.: slow course (including: intermittent: "occurrence of symptom-free period(s) of at least one month's duration excluding period where the patient was in steroid treatment"; and inactive: "completely free of bowel symptoms during the year") as opposed to continuous evolution: "without symptom-free periods". The DR3 allele determination was established by classical serologic analysis. 26 patients were found with the DR3 allele; 14 belonged to the slow course group, 12 to the continuous evolution group; 60 patients did not exhibit the DR3 allele: 50 in the slow course group, 10 in the continuous evolution group. chi 2 = 8.28; p = 0.004. Therefore the frequency of the DR3 allele was very significantly higher in the group with the continuous course (55%) than in the slow course group (22%). Similarly the frequency of the DR3 allele in the group with the continuous course (12/22: 55%) was significantly higher than in the group of control subjects (34/126: 28%) chi 2 = 6.64; p = 0.01.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

[Evolution of adolescent fertility and its association with evolution of income in the Spanish provinces during the period 1975-1985].

BACKGROUND: Fertility rates in women under 21, during the period 1975-1985 in Spain, have analyzed, as well as their association with the evolution of the socioeconomic indicators in order to study the distribution and associated factors to adolescent maternity in our environment. METHODS: The fertility rates have been elaborated from the Official Demographic Statistics. The socioeconomic indicators have been obtained from the Statistics Year Book of the National Institute of Statistics and from other complementary sources. The method of weighted linear regression has been used to analyze the association between the indicators and the rates at the provincial level. RESULTS: The fertility rates have decreased a 16% in mothers from 15 to 19 years old in Spain, between 1975 and 1985. The highest accumulated rates belong to the Communities of Canarias (42.8 births by 1000 women of 15 to 19, Galicia (38.1) Murcia (33.7) and Andalucía (30.3). In the regression analysis, the income evolution shows an association with the fertility evolution in the group from 15 to 19 years old, and this association remains when we take into account unemployment, index of provincial development and birth rate, which allows to explain a 49% of the variance. Fertility of adolescent under 15 is only associated with the income evolution, with a determination coefficient of 0.29. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that early maternity has decreased in Spain, although there are geographical differences, which cam, in some measure, be related with social-economic factors.

Adolescent

Method for the determination of protein evolution rates by amino acid composition. Evolution rate of actins.

A method has been developed to determine the actin evolution rate. The method is based on amino acid compositon. The actin evolution rate has been established to be extremely low. Only three or less amino acid changes per hundred amino acid residues have accumulated for a 100 million years. One can explain the conservative nature of actin evolution as a sequence of its unique tightly fitted structure rich in biologically active centres at short distances from each other. The peculiar invariability of polar amino acids leads to a conclusion that some given distribution of charges is necessary for the unique functioning of actin molecules.

Actins

Evolution of oxygen by plants in relation to biosphere evolution.

The process of water decomposition by plants is discussed in connection with biosphere evolution. This process consists of two parts: water oxidation and oxygen evolution. The origin of the water oxidation process took place after the synthesis of chlorine-type pigments, the structure of which corresponds to a more oxidized state than the bacteriochlorophyll type. The ability of plants to evolve oxygen is the result of a long evolution process. The capability of decomposing water in the lung wave length spectral region by algae and higher plants, which can be only seen under anaerobic conditions was discovered. This mechanism was suggested to be a reflection of a relict form of plant apparatus having operated under ancient, strictly anaerobic, conditions.

Biological Evolution

Chemical evolution and the evolution of the earth's crust.

It is hypothesized that there is a close relationship between the geologic evolution of the global plates of the Earth's crust and the chemical evolution of life on the Earth. Characteristics of the axes of plate spreading are discussed in relation to postulated environments conductive to the synthesis of chemical compounds thought to be important biological precursors. Likely locations for in situ measurements to test the hypothesis are identified.

Biological Evolution

Evolution of reproductive systems in filamentous ascomycetes. II. Evolution of hermaphroditism and other reproductive strategies.

The evolution of different reproductive systems in filamentous ascomycetes is studied in a population genetic model. These fungi differ essentially from higher plants and animals because mating types can exist in addition to male and female gametes, and the conidia serve as both male gametes and asexual spores; moreover, selfing is genetically equivalent to asexual reproduction in these haploid organisms. A variable fitness of ascospore production is predicted as the explanation for the evolution of two systems that abundantly exist in nature: hermaphroditism in heterothallic species and the formation of both asexual and sexual spores in homothallic species. Imperfect fungi will evolve if sexual spores do not show a remarkably higher fitness than asexual spores.

Ascomycota

[Homology and evolution of gene orders: combinatorial measure of synteny group similarity and simulation of the evolution process].

Combinatorial measure of synteny group similarity allowing quantitative comparison of evolutional divergence of genomes with the known distribution of homologous genes along the chromosomes is proposed. Computer simulation of chromosome evolution process resulting in gene localization changes was performed. It is sufficient to fix about 50 large rearrangements, like chromosome breakages, fusions and translocations for disappearance of significant similarity between the daughter and parental genomes, in respect of gene distribution in synteny groups.

Biological Evolution

Rapid evolution of the plastid translational apparatus in a nonphotosynthetic plant: loss or accelerated sequence evolution of tRNA and ribosomal protein genes.

The vestigial plastid genome of Epifagus virginiana (beechdrops), a nonphotosynthetic parasitic flowering plant, is functional but lacks six ribosomal protein and 13 tRNA genes found in the chloroplast DNAs of photosynthetic flowering plants. Import of nuclear gene products is hypothesized to compensate for many of these losses. Codon usage and amino acid usage patterns in Epifagus plastic genes have not been affected by the tRNA gene losses, though a small shift in the base composition of the whole genome (toward A+T-richness) is apparent. The ribosomal protein and tRNA genes that remain have had a high rate of molecular evolution, perhaps due to relaxation of constraints on the translational apparatus. Despite the compactness and extensive gene loss, one translational gene (infA, encoding initiation factor 1) that is a pseudogene in tobacco has been maintained intact in Epifagus.

Amino Acid Sequence

Polymerase evolution and organism evolution.

The continuing exploration of the structure-function relationships of polymerases and the use of polymerases as phylogenetic tools complement each other, as seen in the literature for the past year. DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase gene sequences, in particular, have been used both to define functional domains in the protein encoded and recently to explore fundamental questions in evolution.

Animals

Evolution of Hawaiian drosophilidae. II. Patterns and rates of chromosome evolution in an antopocerus phylogeny.

The phylogenetic relationships of seven species of the genus Antopocerus (Family Drosophilidae) have been determined by means of a study of the metaphase configurations and polytene chromosomes. Based on biogeographical, behavioral and cytogenetic information A. longiseta from Molokai is tentatively identified as the primitive species of the genus. The metaphase karyotypes of all Antopocerus species are either five pairs of rod chromosomes and a pair of dots (5R1D), or six rods (6R). Heterochromatin additions converted the dots to rods. Chromosome breakpoints for inversions also are clustered at heterochromatic loci. The chromosome segments between heterochromatic loci may represent sets of functionally related loci, evolving as a unit. The rate of chromosomal inversion substitution is estimated in the origin of the taxon (probably a subgenus of Drosophila rather than a separate genus). It averages no greater than one substitution per 1,000 years, or one per 5,000 generations. The average genetic death rate per generation of one individual per hundred is required to achieve this substitution rate. The rate of inversion substitution during radiation of this taxon may be only 4.4 X 10(-3) times as fast as that present in forming the taxon. Alternatively, radiation may have required only 250,000 years if rates of substitution are the same as in the origination of the taxon. Average rates of substitution reflect genetic accidents, selection pressures and rates of adaptation to new niches, as well as the rate of encountering new niches. Rate of adaptation probably is much greater in this instance than rate of encountering new niches. Rate of adaptation probably is much greater in this instance than rate of encountering new niches. Therefore, the average rate of evolution reflects more nearly biogeographic and ecological factors than genetic factors.

Animals

Experimental evolution of a new enzymatic function. II. Evolution of multiple functions for ebg enzyme in E. coli.

The evolution of ebgo enzyme of Escherichia coli, an enzyme which is unable to hydrolyze lactose, lactulose, lactobionate, or galactose-arabinoside effectively, has been directed in successive steps so that the evolved enzyme is able to hydrolyze these galactosides effectively. I show that in order for a strain of E. coli with a lacZ deletion to evolve the ability to use lactobionate as a carbon source, a series of mutations must occur in the ebg genes, and that these mutations must be selected in a particular order. The ordered series of mutations constitutes an obligatory evolutionary pathway for the acquisition of a new function for ebgo enzyme. A comparison of newly evolved strains with parental strains shows that when ebg enzyme acquires a new function, its old functions often suffer; but that in several cases old functions are either unaffected or are improved. I conclude that divergence of functions catalyzed by an enzyme need not require gene duplication.

Biological Evolution

[Neuromediators and neuromodulators. Evolution of compounds and the evolution of hypotheses].

Probable peculiarities of evolution of neurotransmitters (NM) and neuromodulators (NR) of various types are discussed. The hypothesis of higher evolutionary rate of peptide NM and NR, and of more diverse possibilities of the formation of this type of NM and NR is suggested. Monomolecular MN and NR are presumably more conservative, although they exhibit some advantage with respect to strict differentiation of the systems of synthesis and degradation. Probably, the most ancient NM and NR are presented by such compounds as peptides, some amino acids, and ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Evolution of the plastid ribosomal RNA operon in a nongreen parasitic plant: accelerated sequence evolution, altered promoter structure, and tRNA pseudogenes.

The nucleotide sequence of a 7.4 kb region containing the entire plastid ribosomal RNA operon of the nongreen parasitic plant Epifagus virginiana has been determined. Analysis of the sequence indicates that all four rRNA genes are intact and almost certainly functional. In contrast, the split genes for tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Ala) present in the 16S-23S rRNA spacer region have become pseudogenes, and deletion upstream of the 16S rRNA gene has removed a tRNA(Val) gene and most of the promoter region for the rRNA operon. The rate of nucleotide substitution in 16S and 23S rRNAs is several times higher in Epifagus than in tobacco, a related photosynthetic plant. Possible reasons for this, including relaxed translational constraints, are discussed.

Base Sequence

The evolution of the environment and its influence on the evolution of life.

Thermodynamic data and known paleogeological data were used to deduce when and what elements (compounds) were readily available during the whole history of the earth. On the basic assumption that available compounds would dictate the type of organisms to emerge, we attempted to derive a kind of evolutionary tree. This was then compared with the existing evolutionary trees derived from the sequences of proteins and polynucleotides.

Animals

Attempts at simulating evolution by a computer: I. evolution of proteins under prebiotic conditions.

The effect of random mutations of five identical pentapeptides that have been inserted arbitrarily along a 100 amino acid-long protein chain has been studied by computer simulation. The method used was the application of mutation probability matrix for 2 PAMs of Dayhoff (1972) repeatedly to obtain the desired length of time. The results indicated that, given sufficient length of time, even the identical peptides could become drastically altered and in order to recognise them as stemming from the same origin one has to use reasonable statistical significance thresholds.

Amino Acid Sequence

Evolution of the nervous system: role of ontogenetic mechanisms in the evolution of matching populations.

Nervous systems are composed of populations of cells that are synaptically connected in a highly predictable manner, and we have called two interconnected populations a pair of matching populations. Heritable genetic changes that affect a pair of matching populations can be evolutionary only when this matching quality is not disrupted. We distinguish two types of heritable change. Concordant heritable changes autonomously preserve the match and are thus automatically candidates for what we call type I evolutionary change. Nonconcordant heritable changes, on the other hand, are those that do not autonomously preserve the match. Those nonconcordant heritable changes that can use other normally present ontogenetic mechanisms to preserve the match are candidates for what we call type II evolutionary change. One example of such an ontogenetic mechanism consists of the production of excess neuroblasts and the subsequent weeding out (via cell death) of those that do not successfully match. Because normal ontogeny is an integral part of type II evolutionary change, ontogenetic manipulations can give evolutionary insights. Embryonic graft experiments, in particular, can elucidate the nature of ontogenetic mechanisms that participate in type II changes. Thus, some developmental experiments can be considered to be evolutionary experiments.

Animals