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On the evolution of ribosomal RNA
1Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021-6399.
Journal of Molecular Evolution
|January 1, 1987
Summary
This study applies protein gene evolution theories to ribosomal RNA (rRNA) evolution. Eukaryotic rRNAs may retain primitive features from the earliest cells, with rRNA genes likely originally unlinked.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- A comprehensive ribosomal RNA (rRNA) database now spans all domains of life.
- Theoretical studies on rRNA evolution lag behind those of protein genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a theoretical framework for rRNA evolution.
- To apply current protein gene evolution models to rRNA.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of rRNA evolution.
- Comparative analysis of rRNA across eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes.
Main Results:
- Variability in rRNA size, gene arrangement, and processing across life's domains.
- Identification of conserved primitive features in eukaryotic rRNAs.
Conclusions:
- Eukaryotic rRNAs likely preserve ancestral traits from the progenote.
- The genes for major rRNA species were probably not linked in early evolution.