RESUMEN
The article Implications of sequence variation on the evolution of rRNA, written by Matthew M. Parks, Chad M. Kurylo, Jake E. Batchelder, C. Theresa Vincent and Scott C. Blanchard, was originally published electronically on the publisher's internet portal (currently SpringerLink).
RESUMEN
The evolution of the multi-copy family of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes is unique in regard to its genetics and genome evolution. Paradoxically, rRNA genes are highly homogenized within and between individuals, yet they are globally distinct between species. Here, we discuss the implications for models of rRNA gene evolution in light of our recent discoveries that ribosomes bearing rRNA sequence variants can affect gene expression and physiology and that intra-individual rRNA alleles exhibit both context- and tissue-specific expression.