High-order epistasis shapes evolutionary trajectories

PLoS Comput Biol. 2017 May 15;13(5):e1005541. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005541. eCollection 2017 May.

Abstract

High-order epistasis-where the effect of a mutation is determined by interactions with two or more other mutations-makes small, but detectable, contributions to genotype-fitness maps. While epistasis between pairs of mutations is known to be an important determinant of evolutionary trajectories, the evolutionary consequences of high-order epistasis remain poorly understood. To determine the effect of high-order epistasis on evolutionary trajectories, we computationally removed high-order epistasis from experimental genotype-fitness maps containing all binary combinations of five mutations. We then compared trajectories through maps both with and without high-order epistasis. We found that high-order epistasis strongly shapes the accessibility and probability of evolutionary trajectories. A closer analysis revealed that the magnitude of epistasis, not its order, predicts is effects on evolutionary trajectories. We further find that high-order epistasis makes it impossible to predict evolutionary trajectories from the individual and paired effects of mutations. We therefore conclude that high-order epistasis profoundly shapes evolutionary trajectories through genotype-fitness maps.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computational Biology
  • Epistasis, Genetic / genetics*
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Genotype
  • Mutation / genetics

Grants and funding

Work was funded in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (ZRS). MJH is a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences, supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.