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"While duplications have long been recognized as a fundamental process behind major evolutionary innovations, direct estimates of spontaneous chromosome duplication rates are rare. In this study, we determined whole-chromosome duplication rates in six unicellular algal species. This approach revealed that spontaneous chromosome duplication events are 5 to 60 times less frequent than point mutations. For duplicated chromosomes, mRNA levels reflect gene copy number.

However, we show that a compensatory mechanism occurs at the post-transcriptional level to modulate translation of these mRNAs. This mechanism is thought to involve adjustment of the mRNA polyA tail."