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Introns: evolution and function

J S Mattick1

  • 1Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|December 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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The evolutionary origin of nuclear introns remains debated. Evidence suggests introns invaded eukaryotic genes later, evolving with the spliceosome and potentially driving multicellularity through new genetic functions.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • The evolutionary origin of nuclear introns in eukaryotic protein-coding genes is debated, with two main hypotheses: introns-early and introns-late.
  • Recent studies on intron-gene-protein structure offer conflicting interpretations, though a trend favors the introns-late hypothesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the evidence for introns-early versus introns-late hypotheses.
  • To explore the potential evolutionary forces and significance of introns in eukaryotic biology, particularly in higher organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Review and interpretation of recent studies on intron location relative to gene and protein structure.
  • Analysis of evidence for introns functioning as transposable elements and their derivation from group II introns.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Consideration of the role of transcription-translation separation in intron evolution.

    • Main Results:

    • Growing evidence supports the introns-late hypothesis, suggesting introns invaded eukaryotic genes after divergence from prokaryotes.
    • Introns show evidence of deriving from self-splicing group II introns and evolving with the spliceosome.
    • The separation of transcription and translation was crucial for this evolutionary partnership.

    Conclusions:

    • Intron colonization of eukaryotic genes post-prokaryotic divergence opens new questions about their evolutionary drivers and significance.
    • Introns may have acquired novel functions, creating positive pressure for their expansion within eukaryotic genomes.
    • The emergence of both messenger RNA (mRNA) and intron-derived RNA (iRNA) may have been critical for the development of multicellular organisms.