Fitness landscapes and gene location

Abstract

The paper outlines initial results into a study of the preference of gene location for diploid organisms under the presence of an environmental gradient. The work explores the properties of a spatially-explicit model of monoecious diploid individuals that evolve preferential coding of gene location. The individuals evolve over a space with a linear gradient, where the response to an individual’s phenotype determines the age before breeding. Each individual has three chromosomes that determine the position and value of two genes. These genes combine to determine the resulting breeding response. The concept of an NK fitness landscape is used to represent two different scenarios of gene linkage. The results indicate that when gene linkage is related by a rugged fitness landscape, the genes cluster on the same chromosome, whereas when the fitness landscape is smooth the genes are more likely to be on separate chromosomes. The work has implications for understanding some of the possible mechanisms that lead to gene clusters.