Organization and evolution of mitochondrial gene clusters in human.
Currently, the spatial patterns of mitochondrial genes and how the genomic localization of (pseudo)genes originated from mitochondrial DNA remain largely unexplained. The aim of this study was to elucidate the organization of mitochondrial (pseudo)genes given their evolutionary origin. We used a keyword finding method and a bootstrapping method to estimate parameter values that represent the distribution pattern of mitochondrial genes in the nuclear genome. Almost half of mitochondrial genes showing physical clusters were located in the pericentromeric and subtelomeric regions of the chromosome. Most interestingly, the size of these clusters ranged from 0.085 to 3.2 Mb (average+/-SD 1.3+/-0.73 Mb), which coincides with the size of the evolutionary pocket, or the average size of evolutionary breakpoint regions. Our findings imply that the localization of mitochondrial genes in the human genome is determined independent of adaptation.
Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Population Genetics, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
Sunjin
S
Moon
Seoae
S
Cho
Heebal
H
Kim
D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D023061:Gene Order; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011544:Pseudogenes; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C500818:NENF protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins