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Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 1, 213-219, Copyright © 1984 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Retention of cryptic genes in microbial populations

WH Li
Center for Demographic and Population Genetics, University of Texas, Houston 77025.

Cryptic genes are silenced genes that can still be reactivated by mutation. Since they can make no positive contribution to the fitness of their carriers, it is not clear why many cryptic genes in microbial populations have not degenerated into useless DNA sequences. Hall et al. (1983) have suggested that cryptic genes have persisted because of occasional strong environmental selection for reactivated genes. The present mathematical study supports their suggestion. It shows that a cryptic gene can be retained without having any selective advantage over a useless DNA sequence, if selection for the reactivated gene occasionally occurs for a substantially long time.
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