Duplication-Targeted DNA Methylation and Mutagenesis in the Evolution of Eukaryotic Chromosomes

Mammalian genomes are threatened with gene inactivation and chromosomal scrambling by recombination between repeated sequences such as mobile genetic elements and pseudogenes. We present and test a model for a defensive strategy based on the methylation and subsequent mutation of CpG dinucleotides i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1992-02, Vol.89 (3), p.1075-1079
Main Authors: Kricker, Maja C., Drake, John W., Radman, Miroslav
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Evolution
Chromatin. Chromosome
Chromosomes - ultrastructure
DNA
Eukaryotic Cells - physiology
Exons
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes
Genetics
Genomes
Housekeeping
Humans
Introns
Mammals
Methylation
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular genetics
Multigene Family
Mutation
Pseudogenes
Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
Ripping
Sequence homology
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Description
Summary:Mammalian genomes are threatened with gene inactivation and chromosomal scrambling by recombination between repeated sequences such as mobile genetic elements and pseudogenes. We present and test a model for a defensive strategy based on the methylation and subsequent mutation of CpG dinucleotides in those DNA duplications that create uninterrupted homologous sequences longer than about 0.3 kilobases. The model helps to explain both the diversity of CpG frequencies in different genes and the persistence of gene fragmentation into exons and introns.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.89.3.1075