Do introns favor or avoid regions of amino acid conservation?

Molecular Biology and Evolution
Toshinori EndoWalter Gilbert

Abstract

Are intron positions correlated with regions of high amino acid conservation? For a set of ancient conserved proteins, with intronless prokaryotic but intron-containing eukaryotic homologs, multiple sequence alignments identified residues invariant throughout evolution. Intron positions between codons show no preferences. However, introns lying after the first base of a codon prefer conserved regions, markedly in glycines. Because glycines are in excess in conserved regions, this behavior could reflect phase-one introns entering glycine residues randomly in the ancestral sequences. Examination of intron positions within codons of evolutionarily invariable amino acids showed that roughly 50% of these introns are bordered by guanines at both 5'- and 3'-ends, 25% have a G only before the intron, and 5% have a G only after the intron, whereas about 20% are bordered by nonguanine bases.

References

Feb 9, 1978·Nature·W Gilbert
Apr 1, 1988·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·W R Pearson, D J Lipman
Feb 21, 1998·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·M LongW Gilbert
Jun 6, 1998·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·S J de SouzaW Gilbert
Jan 23, 1999·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·J M Logsdon
Sep 1, 1999·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·B VenkateshS Brenner
Nov 26, 1999·Gene·S W RoyW Gilbert
Nov 1, 2001·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·A FedorovW Gilbert

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 8, 2005·Journal of Molecular Evolution·A RuvinskyL D Hurst
Jun 1, 2006·Journal of Molecular Evolution·A Ruvinsky, W Ward
Nov 22, 2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Alexei FedorovWalter Gilbert
Feb 10, 2007·Biology Direct·Albert D G de Roos
Jul 4, 2008·Trends in Genetics : TIG·Manuel IrimiaScott William Roy
May 1, 2012·Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology·Libia SanzJuan J Calvete
Oct 13, 2020·Biochemistry. Biokhimii︠a︡·I V Poverennaya, M A Roytberg

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.