A Fortran computer algorithm has been used to analyze the nucleotide se¬quence of several structural genes. The analysis performed on both coding and complementary DNA strands shows that whereas open reading frames shorter than 100 codons are randomly distributed on both DNA strands, open reading frames longer than 100 codons ("virtual genes") are significantly more frequent on the complementary DNA strand than on the coding one. These "virtual genes" were further investigated by looking at intron se¬quences, splicing points, signal sequences and by analyzing gene mutations. On the basis of this analysis coding and complementary DNA strands of several eukaryotic structural genes cannot be distinguished. In particular we suggest that the complementary DNA strand of the human ε-globin gene might indeed code for a protein.
Coding capacity of complementary DNA strands / A., Cascino; M., Cipollaro; A. M., Guerrini; Mastrocinque, Giuseppe; A., Spena; V., Scarlato. - In: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH. - ISSN 0305-1048. - 9:6(1981), pp. 1499-1518. [10.1093/nar/9.6.1499]
Coding capacity of complementary DNA strands
MASTROCINQUE, GIUSEPPE;
1981
Abstract
A Fortran computer algorithm has been used to analyze the nucleotide se¬quence of several structural genes. The analysis performed on both coding and complementary DNA strands shows that whereas open reading frames shorter than 100 codons are randomly distributed on both DNA strands, open reading frames longer than 100 codons ("virtual genes") are significantly more frequent on the complementary DNA strand than on the coding one. These "virtual genes" were further investigated by looking at intron se¬quences, splicing points, signal sequences and by analyzing gene mutations. On the basis of this analysis coding and complementary DNA strands of several eukaryotic structural genes cannot be distinguished. In particular we suggest that the complementary DNA strand of the human ε-globin gene might indeed code for a protein.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
