Simulation study of a multigene family, with special reference to the evolution of compensatory advantageous mutations.

We investigate the evolution of a multigene family incorporating the forces of drift, mutation, gene conversion, unequal crossing over and selection. The use of simulation studies is required due to the complexity of the model. Selection is modeled in two modes: positive selection as a function of the number of different beneficial alleles and negative selection against deleterious alleles. We assume that gene conversion is unbiased, and that all mutations are initially deleterious. Compensation between mutants creates beneficial and neutral alleles, and allowances are made for compensatory mutations either within or between the members of a multigene family. We find that gene conversion can enhance the rate of acquisition of compensatory advantageous mutations when genes are redundant.