Mapping DNase-I hypersensitive sites on human isochores.
Mapping DNase-I hypersensitive sites (HS) was used in the past to identify regulatory elements of specific genes. More recently, thousands of HS were identified in the human genome by using high-throughput methods. These approaches showed a general enrichment of HS near or within known genes, within CpG islands, within human-mouse conserved regions and in GC-rich regions of the genome. Here we show that HS: (i) are characterized by a much higher GC level (approximately 56%) than the average GC level of the human genome (approximately 41%); (ii) are overwhelmingly located in the GC-richest compartment of the genome, which is predominantly associated with an open chromatin structure; (iii) and are slightly more and slightly less frequent than genes, respectively, in the gene-rich and in the gene-poor isochore families.
Di Filippo
Miriam
M
Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy.
Bernardi
Giorgio
G
D001482:Base Composition; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D020862:GC Rich Sequence; D015894:Genome, Human; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D032085:Isochores
D002843:Chromatin; D032085:Isochores; D004247:DNA; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I