Evolution of microRNAs located within Hox gene clusters.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) form an abundant class of non-coding RNA genes that have an important function in post-transcriptional gene regulation and in particular modulate the expression of developmentally important transcription factors including Hox genes. Two families of microRNAs are genomically located in intergenic regions in the Hox clusters of vertebrates. Here we describe their evolution in detail. We show that the micro RNAs closely follow the patterns of protein evolution in the Hox clusters, which is characterized by cluster duplications followed by differential gene loss.
Tanzer
Andrea
A
Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Kreuzstrasse 7b, D 04103 Leipzig, Germany. andrea@bioinf.uni-leipzig.de
Amemiya
Chris T
CT
Kim
Chang-Bae
CB
Stadler
Peter F
PF
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs