A New Tool Maps the Footprints of Recurrent Evolution
Researchers have developed RECUR, a computational method for identifying recurrent amino acid substitutions from large multiple sequence alignments. The algorithm, which is fast, scalable, and robust to errors in phylogenetic tree inference, achieved perfect accuracy on simulated data with known evolutionary histories. When applied to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein sequences, RECUR revealed widespread recurrent evolution, with substitutions significantly enriched at the human ACE2 receptor interface—a hotspot for balancing selective pressures between immune evasion and binding affinity—and depleted at the protein’s trimeric interface.
Why it might matter to you: For professionals tracking molecular evolution, RECUR provides a powerful, validated tool to pinpoint convergent adaptations and causative mutations driving phenotypes like drug resistance or virulence. This method can refine analyses of selective pressure and adaptive radiation by efficiently distinguishing meaningful recurrent changes from phylogenetic noise across thousands of sequences.
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