Relative electromorph mutation rates (REMR) in man

Abstract

The observed variability in the incidence of electromorph mutation rates (EMR) in protein loci is a combination of 2 variates, namely, inter-populational and interlocus. While the latter variability is known to follow the gamma distribution (Nei et al., 1976; Bhatia, 1980), a distribution highly correlated with subunit size, the former variability which may relate to more basic differences in intrinsic mutation rates, has not been analysed so far. Using the relative method of Zouros (1979), I have estimated the range of variability of this mutation rate in human populations. For similar sets of protein loci the magnitude of relative electromorph mutation rates (REMR) does not show much deviation. However, the interlocus variability within populations is highly significant and varies considerably over various populations. The results, calculated by the relative method provide supportive data to the results from indirect method, and are discussed. The observed variability in the incidence of electromorph mutation rates (EMR) in protein loci is a combination of 2 variates, namely, inter-populational and interlocus. While the latter variability is known to follow the gamma distribution (Nei et al., 1976; Bhatia, 1980), a distribution highly correlated with subunit size, the former variability which may relate to more basic differences in intrinsic mutation rates, has not been analysed so far. Using the relative method of Zouros (1979), I have estimated the range of variability of this mutation rate in human populations. For similar sets of protein loci the magnitude of relative electromorph mutation rates (REMR) does not show much deviation. However, the interlocus variability within populations is highly significant and varies considerably over various populations. The results, calculated by the relative method provide supportive data to the results from indirect method, and are discussed.