title: The evolution mechanism of intron length.
abstract: Within two years of their discovery in 1977, introns were found to have a positive effect on gene expression. Our result shows that introns can achieve gene expression and regulation through interaction with corresponding mRNA sequences. On the base of Smith-Waterman method, local comparing helps us get the optimal matched segments between intron sequences and mRNA sequences. Studying the distribution regulation of the optimal matching region on intron sequences of ribosomal protein genes about 27 species, we find that the intron length evolution processes beginning from 5' end to 3' end and increasing one by one structural unit, which comes up with a possible mechanism for the intron length evolution. The intron of structure units is conservative with about 60bp length, but the length of linker sequence between structure units changes a lot. Interestingly, distributions of the length and matching rate of optimal matched segments are consistent with sequence features of miRNA and siRNA. These results indicate that the interaction between intron sequences and mRNA sequences is a kind of functional RNA-RNA interaction. Meanwhile, the two kinds of sequences above are co-evolved and interactive to play their functions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China. Electronic address: ndlihong@imu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Centre, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Science, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Foreign Languages College, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China.
authors.forename: Su-Ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins
keywords: Introns; Local matched; Optimal matched segments; Ribosomal protein genes; mRNA