Exon size distribution and the origin of introns | Macquarie University ResearchOnline

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Title: Exon size distribution and the origin of introns
Related: Genetica, Vol. 131, No. 3, p.299-306
DOI: 10.1007/s10709-007-9139-4
Publisher: Springer
Date: 2007
FoR/RFCD Code(s): 060400 Genetics
Author/Creator: Gudlaugsdottir, Sigurbjorg
Author/Creator: Boswell, D. Ross
Author/Creator: Wood, Graham R
Author/Creator: Ma, Jun
Description: Since it was first recognised that eukaryotic genes are fragmented into coding segments (exons) separated by non-coding segments (introns), the reason for this phenomenon has been debated. There are two dominant theories: that the piecewise arrangement of genes allows functional protein domains, represented by exons, to recombine by shuffling to form novel proteins with combinations of functions; or that introns represent parasitic DNA that can infest the eukaryotic genome because it does not interfere grossly with the fitness of its host. Differing distributions of exon lengths are predicted by these two theories. In this paper we examine distributions of exon lengths for six different organisms and find that they offer empirical evidence that both theories may in part be correct.
Description: 8 page(s)
Subject Keyword: 060400 Genetics
Subject Keyword: Intron-early Intron-late Mixture model
Subject Keyword: intron-early
Subject Keyword: intron-late
Subject Keyword: mixture model
Resource Type: journal article
Organisation: Macquarie University. Dept. of Statistics

Macquarie University ResearchOnline