title: Exons, introns, and DNA thermodynamics.
abstract: The genes of eukaryotes are characterized by protein coding fragments, the exons, interrupted by introns, i.e., stretches of DNA which do not carry useful information for protein synthesis. We have analyzed the melting behavior of randomly selected human cDNA sequences obtained from genomic DNA by removing all introns. A clear correspondence is observed between exons and melting domains. This finding may provide new insights into the physical mechanisms underlying the evolution of genes.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Research Institute c/o IEMN, Cité Scientifique, BP 60069, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carlon
authors.forename: Mehdi Lejard
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Malki
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blossey
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA