In silico Prediction of C4-related Genes by Finding Duplications Causing Pattern Deviation and Comparative Analysis of Phylogenetic Trees

Abstract

This study is focused on the development of a pattern-finding method for analyzing evolutionary trees to predict genes that may be involved in C4 photosynthesis. It relies on publicly available phylogenetic data which is processed with the authors’ own Python scripts and opensource software. The pattern recognition in the topology of the trees is an essential part of the process and the result is then validated by comparing the expression levels of the selected candidates. The same approach can be applied in studying the evolution of other important traits just by changing the type of pattern.