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The split gene theory is a theory of the origin of introns, long non-coding sequences in eukaryotic genes between the exons. [1] [2] [3] The theory holds that the randomness of primordial DNA sequences would only permit small (< 600bp) open reading frames (ORFs), and that important intron structures and regulatory sequences are derived from stop codons.
Eukaryotic origins of replication control the formation of several protein complexes that lead to the assembly of two bidirectional DNA replication forks. These events are initiated by the formation of the pre-replication complex (pre-RC) at the origins of replication. This process takes place in the G 1 stage of the cell cycle. The pre-RC ...
More recent studies of entire eukaryotic genomes have now shown that the lengths and density (introns/gene) of introns varies considerably between related species. For example, while the human genome contains an average of 8.4 introns/gene (139,418 in the genome), the unicellular fungus Encephalitozoon cuniculi contains only 0.0075 introns/gene ...
Exon shuffling was first introduced in 1978 when Walter Gilbert discovered that the existence of introns could play a major role in the evolution of proteins. [3] It was noted that recombination within introns could help assort exons independently and that repetitive segments in the middle of introns could create hotspots for recombination to shuffle the exonic sequences.
Gene conversion is the process by which one DNA sequence replaces a homologous sequence such that the sequences become identical after the conversion. [1] Gene conversion can be either allelic, meaning that one allele of the same gene replaces another allele, or ectopic, meaning that one paralogous DNA sequence converts another.
Gene structure is the organisation of specialised sequence elements within a gene. Genes contain most of the information necessary for living cells to survive and reproduce. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] In most organisms, genes are made of DNA, where the particular DNA sequence determines the function of the gene.
Mutations to the TATA box can range from a deletion or insertion to a point mutation with varying effects based on the gene that has been mutated. The mutations change the binding of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) for transcription initiation. Thus, there is a resulting change in phenotype based on the gene that is not being expressed (Figure 3).
The eukaryotic cell seems to have evolved from a symbiotic community of prokaryotic cells. DNA-bearing organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts are remnants of ancient symbiotic oxygen-breathing bacteria and cyanobacteria , respectively, where at least part of the rest of the cell may have been derived from an ancestral archaean prokaryote ...