3 Mutation breeding, evolution, and the law of recurrent variation

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66 Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig from its deductions. Since so far I do not know of any valid exceptions of this principle for induced and spontaneous random mutations as deduced above, I presently prefer to speak of the “law” of recurrent variation sensu stricto (researchers should, perhaps, constantly remind themselves that not only mutation breeding but also any expectations to artificially ‘speed up evolution’ (Muller) by mutations in the wild largely failed because of this law). Yet, borderline-cases could possibly consist of complex DNA rearrangements leading to unusual losses of genetic functions and correspondingly rare morphological aberrations with a low probability to independently occur again, e. g. Tunicate in maize (Thomas Münster, MPIZ, Cologne, personal communication), or the polymorphism conveying powdery mildew resistance in barley (Pifanelli et al., Nature 430: 887- 891, 2004). I suggest that such cases should be included in the law as rare “borderline-cases” at the more distal part of the saturation curve for phenotypes, inasmuch as the barley example confers a similar phenotype to the other mlo loss of function alleles (apart from the reversion-rate of 0.5-1 x 10 -4 and a “low level growth of sporulating Bgh colonies” in the mlo-11 plants). Moreover, it should perhaps also be considered that in both cases further independent occurrences cannot be excluded in the billions of plants grown each year world-wide in both species: the world barley production was some 155 million tons in 2004 consisting of about 3.8 x 10 15 individual gains (one grain ca. 0.04 g). Hence, the occurrence of a grain carrying a mutant gene with the low probability of only 10 -12 per gene per generation due to a spontaneous mutation will still amount to several thousands of independent occurrences (and thus grains carrying the mutant gene) worldwide. The number of mutant plants will be smaller, of course, but still amounts to several dozens and several hundreds in a hundred years. A similar calculation can be made for the 705 million tons of maize also produced in 2004 (one grain ca. 0.2 g). The law, however, clearly excludes the origin of new complex functional sequences (entirely new genes and new gene reaction chains for novel synorganized anatomical structures and/or physiological functions) by random mutations. As for the probability of the origin of new functional genes see and (19)-(21), (77), (78), and (95). References 1. Becker, H.-A., and Lönnig, W.-E. 2002, Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Nature Publishing Group, London, 18, 559-539. 2. Becker, H.-A., Saedler, H., and Lönnig W.-E. 2002, Encyclopedia of Genetics, S. Brenner and J.H.Miller (Eds.) Academic Press, San Diego, 4, 2020-2033. 3. Behe, M.. J. 1996, Darwin’s Black Box, The Free Press, New York. 4. Behe, M.. J.2002, Natural History 111, 74. 5. Behe, M. .J. 2004, Debating Design: From Darwin to DNA, W. A. Dembski, M. Ruse (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 352-370. 6. Behe, M.. J. 2005, Design for Living. The New York Times. 7 February 2005, Editorial Desk, p. 21. 7. Behe, M. J. and Snoke, D. W. 2004, Simulating evolution by gene duplication of protein features that require multiple amino acid residues. Protein Sci. 13, 2651-2664. 8. Bennett, M. D., and Leitch I.J. 1995, Ann. Bot. 76,113-176.
Mutations and recurrent variation 67 9. Bennett, M. D., and Leitch I.J. 1997, Ann. Bot. 80,169-196. 10. Bennetzen J.L. 1998, Curr. Opin. Plant. Biol. 1, 103-108. 11. Bennetzen, J.L. 2000, Plant Mol. Biol. 42: 251-269. 12. Berlinski, D. 2003, Commentary 115: 29-37 (4 April 2003). 13. Berlinski, D. 2003, Commentary 115 (for the full discussion see David Berlinski’s articles under: http://www.discovery.org/csc/fellows.php) (8 July 2003) 14. Blixt, S. 1972, Agri Hort. Genet. 30, l-293. 15. Campbell J.A., Meyer. and S. C. (Eds) 2003, Darwinism, Design, and Public Education, Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 16. Caspersson, T. 1946, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1946 Presentation Speech. From: Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine 1942-1962, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam. 17. Darwin C.R. 1859, On the Origin of the Species, John Murray, London. 18. Dawkins, R. 1995. River out of Eden. Basic Books, New York. 19. Dembski, W. A. 1998, The Design Inference: Eliminating Chance Through Small Probabilities, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 20. Dembski, W.A. 2002, No Free Lunch: Why Specified Complexity Cannot Be Purchased without Intelligence, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham. 21. Dembski, W.A. 2004, The Design Revolution, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove. 22. Dobzhansky, T. 1937, Genetics and the Origin of Species, Columbia University Press, New York 23. Eccles, J.C. 1992, Cosmos, Bios, Theos, 160-164. Margenau, H, and Varghese, R. A. (Eds.), Open Court, Chicago and La Salle, Illinois. 24. FAO/IAEA, 2004, http://www-mvd.iaea.org/MVD/default.htm 25. Fischbeck, G., Röbbelen, G., Stutzer, D. 1987, Landwirtschaftliche Pflanzenzüchtung in Deutschland. Herausgegeben vom Bundesverband Deutscher Pflanzenzüchter e.V. Bonn. Gelsenkirchen-Buer. 26. Frisch, K. von, 1977, Scientific Interview, Third TV-Programme, FRG, 15. 9. 1977. 27. Gene, M. 2001, Randomly Generated Biologically Functional Proteins? http://www.idthink.net/biot/ranprot/index.html 28. Gottschalk, W. 1989, Allgemeine Genetik. 3. Auflage, Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart. 29. Granit, R. 1992, Cosmos, Bios, Theos, 177-178. Margenau, H, and Varghese, R. A. (Eds.), Open Court, Chicago and La Salle, Illinois. 30. Grasse, P.-P. 1977, Evolution of Living Organism. Academic Press, New York, N.Y. 31. Haecker, V. 1925, Pluripotenzerscheinungen. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena. 32. Hartl, D. L. 1988, A Primer in Population Genetics. Second Edition. Sunderland/Mass. 33. Hartl, D. L. and Jones, E. W. 1998, Genetics. Jones & Bartlett Publishing, Sudbury, Boston. 34. Hockett, E. A., and Nilan, R.A.1985, Rasmusson, D.C. (Ed.), Barley. Madison, 187-230. 35. Junker, R. and Scherer, S. 2001, Evolution - Ein kritisches Lehrbuch. Weyel Lehrmittel Verlag, Gießen. 36. Keefe A.D., Szostak J.W. 2001, Nature 410, 715-718. 37. Kuckuck, H. and Mudra, A. 1950, Lehrbuch der allgemeinen Pflanzenzüchtung. Hirzel Verlag, Stuttgart.
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