Multi-copy nuclear pseudogenes of mitochondrial DNA reveal recent acute genetic changes in the human genome.
Four nuclear pseudogenes homologous to the 10031-10195-bp region of the human mitochondrial genome were detected by constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis. Among them, one pseudogene is present as at least five copies in each cell, in accordance with our previous observations of multi-copy mitochondrial DNA pseudogenes. The presence of multiple identical copies of pseudogenes suggests that the human genome underwent a series of genetic changes, including gene amplifications, very recently in evolutionary history, i.e., within the last 390000 years.
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Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
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D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011544:Pseudogenes; D012353:RNA, Transfer, Gly / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012353:RNA, Transfer, Gly; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase