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The evolution of spliceosomal introns.

Michael Lynch1, Aaron O Richardson

  • 1Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. mlynch@bio.indiana.edu

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|November 16, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Introns, segments of eukaryotic genes, were present in early eukaryotes and split into two classes. Their evolution is shaped by mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection.

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Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The proliferation of introns in eukaryotic protein-coding genes is poorly understood.
  • Recent advances stem from genome sequencing and mRNA processing analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the early evolution and diversification of spliceosomal introns.
  • To propose a hypothesis for the origin of new introns.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of large-scale genome sequencing data.
  • Functional analyses of messenger RNA (mRNA) processing events.
  • Phylogenetic and physical distribution analyses of introns.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests spliceosomal introns existed in the stem eukaryote.
  • Introns diverged into at least two distinct classes early in eukaryotic evolution.
  • Estimates of intron turnover rates were generated.

Conclusions:

  • The phylogenetic and physical distribution of introns can be explained by a framework considering mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection.
  • A testable hypothesis for intron origin was proposed.

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