title: rRNA-like sequences in human mRNAs.
abstract: Many eukaryotic transcripts have been reported to contain sequences similar or complementary to ribosomal RNAs. Past computational and experimental analyses have suggested a possible functional role of such rRNA-like sequences in the regulation of translation. Here, we analysed the occurrence and abundance of rRNA-like sequences in human transcripts. Using the wealth of data from genome and EST sequences, our study indicates that mRNA sequences with long highly similar rRNA-like sequences are most likely artifacts. In contrast, analysis of the occurrence of 9-nt sequences covering the entire direct and complementary 18S human rRNA sequence, revealed that many of them are significantly over- or underrepresented, suggesting their possible involvement in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Biochimica Generali, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mignone
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesole
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D001483:Base Sequence; D019295:Computational Biology; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D023281:Genomics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S