On Eigen's Quasispecies Model, Two-Valued Fitness Landscapes, and Isometry Groups Acting on Finite Metric Spaces

Bull Math Biol. 2016 May;78(5):991-1038. doi: 10.1007/s11538-016-0172-2. Epub 2016 May 26.

Abstract

A two-valued fitness landscape is introduced for the classical Eigen's quasispecies model. This fitness landscape can be considered as a direct generalization of the so-called single- or sharply peaked landscape. A general, non-permutation invariant quasispecies model is studied, and therefore the dimension of the problem is [Formula: see text], where N is the sequence length. It is shown that if the fitness function is equal to [Formula: see text] on a G-orbit A and is equal to w elsewhere, then the mean population fitness can be found as the largest root of an algebraic equation of degree at most [Formula: see text]. Here G is an arbitrary isometry group acting on the metric space of sequences of zeroes and ones of the length N with the Hamming distance. An explicit form of this exact algebraic equation is given in terms of the spherical growth function of the G-orbit A. Motivated by the analysis of the two-valued fitness landscapes, an abstract generalization of Eigen's model is introduced such that the sequences are identified with the points of a finite metric space X together with a group of isometries acting transitively on X. In particular, a simplicial analog of the original quasispecies model is discussed, which can be considered as a mathematical model of the switching of the antigenic variants for some bacteria.

Keywords: Eigen’s quasispecies model; Finite metric space; Isometry group; Mean population fitness; Regular polytope; Single-peaked landscape.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Genetic Fitness*
  • Mathematical Concepts
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Mutation
  • Selection, Genetic