mutationdriven

Mutation-driven is an adjective used to describe processes, studies, or phenomena in which genetic mutations are the primary source of variation that leads to change over time. In this view, new mutations generate phenotypic options, and subsequent selection or environmental pressures act on those mutations to shape outcomes. The term is often used as a contrasts with views that emphasize non-genetic variation, standing genetic variation, or ecological interactions as the main drivers of change.

In evolutionary biology, mutation-driven concepts highlight how the rate, spectrum, and context of new mutations can constrain or channel adaptive trajectories. While most new mutations are neutral or deleterious, rare beneficial mutations can alter fitness and, when repeated over generations, contribute to longer-term evolution. The balance among mutation supply, selection, and genetic drift determines the pace and direction of change.

In cancer biology, mutation-driven tumorigenesis refers to the accumulation of somatic driver mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that promote clonal expansions and tumor progression. Tumors often harbor many mutations, with a subset acting as drivers and others as passengers, contributing to heterogeneity, therapy resistance, and clonal dynamics.

In microbiology and infectious disease, mutation-driven adaptation explains how bacterial populations acquire resistance or metabolize new substrates through mutations that alter gene function.

Limitations include the substantial role of epigenetic changes, gene regulation, and environmental context, which can influence outcomes alongside mutations. See also driver mutation, clonal evolution, somatic mutation, cancer genomics.