Spontaneous symmetry breaking in genome evolution.
Nucleic Acids Res
; 36(8): 2756-63, 2008 May.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18367477
ABSTRACT
The quest for evolutionary mechanisms providing separation between the coding (exons) and noncoding (introns) parts of genomic DNA remains an important focus of genetics. This work combines an analysis of the most recent achievements of genomics and fundamental concepts of random processes to provide a novel point of view on genome evolution. Exon sizes in sequenced genomes show a lognormal distribution typical of a random Kolmogoroff fractioning process. This implies that the process of intron incretion may be independent of exon size, and therefore could be dependent on intron-exon boundaries. All genomes examined have two distinctive classes of exons, each with different evolutionary histories. In the framework proposed in this article, these two classes of exons can be derived from a hypothetical ancestral genome by (spontaneous) symmetry breaking. We note that one of these exon classes comprises mostly alternatively spliced exons.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Exones
/
Evolución Molecular
/
Genómica
/
Modelos Genéticos
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nucleic Acids Res
Año:
2008
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos