Specific amino acid content and codon usage account for the existence of overlapping ORFS.
Here we present a novel hypothesis for the origin of overlapping open reading frames (O-ORFs) observed in the 'non-coding frames' of several genes of yeast chromosome II. By computer analysis it was found that the specific amino acid content and base distribution pattern at certain genomic locations and the presence of O-ORFs were related. This observation prompt us to conclude that these O-ORFs are mere statistical curiosities without any biological function, which is in contrast to the hypotheses proposed by other authors.
Boldogkõi
Z
Z
Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary. boldogko@ana1.sote.hu
Barta
E
E
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal; D003062:Codon; D016366:Open Reading Frames
D000596:Amino Acids; D003062:Codon