Discovery of a long inverted repeat in human POTE genes

POTE gene family is tightly related to prostate, ovary, testis and placenta cancers. We recently identified an intronic long inverted repeat (LIR) in some members of the POTE gene family. Due to the capacity of inducing gene amplification, the POTE intronic LIRs may be involved in over-expression of the POTE genes. Our study aimed to understand the origin of the LIR in primates. We collected the LIR and its flanking sequences within rhesus monkey, chimpanzee and human genomes. The rhesus monkey genome only has half-sized LIRs (lack one repeat copy), whereas the human and chimpanzee genomes contain both full-sized and half-sized LIRs. Phylogenetic tree indicates that the LIR is formed after divergence of rhesus monkey and the common ancestor of human and chimpanzee. The POTE genes containing a full-sized LIR were amplified in the human genome.