A model of duplicative transposition and gene conversion for repetitive DNA families

Abstract

A model of duplicative transposition and gene conversion for the evolution of repetitive DNA families was studied. In this model, transposition and conversion (both unbiased) are assumed to occur both within and between the genomes in a diploid cell, and any degree of linkage intensity is incorporated. The transition equations for allelic and nonallelic identity coefficients have been formulated by using the previous results. The results are widely applicable to many repetitive sequences, from dispersed families like transposons to tightly linked multigene families. It has been shown through extensive numerical studies on equilibrium properties that duplicative transposition and gene conversion have very similar effects on nonallelic identity coefficients, but that allelism and allelic identity are greatly influenced by the relative rates of occurrence of the two processes.