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Selective Constraints on Amino-acid Substitutions during the Evolution of Proteins

Abstract

RECENTLY, several workers have suggested that during the evolution of proteins most amino-acid substitutions (in the sense of mutations that have spread to fixation) have been neutral in selective value1–4. These views have not received unanimous support5,6. It seems appropriate, therefore, to examine the pattern of substitutions in order to detect any possible influences of natural selection. I here analyse the relationship between the frequencies of particular substitutions and the chemical properties of the amino-acids concerned in them.

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CLARKE, B. Selective Constraints on Amino-acid Substitutions during the Evolution of Proteins. Nature 228, 159–160 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/228159a0

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