Methods to study the occurrence and the evolution of pseudogenes through a phylogenetic approach.
During the last few years, the study of pseudogenes has excited enthusiasm, because it has been proven that at least some of them are involved in important biological processes. An accurate detection and analysis of pseudogenes can be achieved using comparative methods, but only the use of phylogenetic tools can provide accurate information about their birth, their evolution and their death, hence about the impact that they have on genes and genomes. Here, phylogenetic methods that allow studying pseudogene history are described.
Evolutionary Biology and Modeling Group, Aix-Marseille Université, LATP - UMR 7353, 3 Place Victor Hugo - Case 19, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France, jacques.dainat@gmail.com.
Jacques
J
Dainat
Pierre
P
Pontarotti
D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011544:Pseudogenes / Q000235:genetics*