Similarity landscapes: An improved method for scientific visualization of information from protein and DNA database searches

摘要

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The authors have used computer simulations and examination of a variety of databases to answer questions about a wide range of evolutionary questions. The authors have found that there is a clear distinction in the evolution of HIV-1 and HIV-2, with the former and more virulent virus evolving more rapidly at a functional level. The authors have discovered highly non-random patterns in the evolution of HIV-1 that can be attributed to a variety of selective pressures. In the course of examination of microsatellite DNA (short repeat regions) in microorganisms, the authors have found clear differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes in their distribution, differences that can be tied to different selective pressures. They have developed a new method (topiary pruning) for enhancing the phylogenetic information contained in DNA sequences. Most recently, the authors have discovered effects in complex rainforest ecosystems that indicate strong frequency-dependent interactions between host species and their parasites, leading to the maintenance of ecosystem variability.