Biology:Orphon

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Short description: Gene located outside the main chromosomal locus

An orphon is a gene located outside the main chromosomal locus, i.e., it may be dispersed to an unconnected genomic location.[1][2]

Orphons have been found in both protein-coding and non-protein-coding gene families, which suggests that most gene transcription processes do not constitute a restriction on the development of orphons. Extensive polymorphism in this feature between individuals of the same species was shown. The gene class was first discovered in yeast, sea urchins, and fruitflies,[1] and has since been reported from the genome of many other eukaryote groups including molluscs,[3] amphibians,[4] and mammals including humans.[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Childs, G.; Maxson, R.; Cohn, R. H.; Kedes, L. (1981). "Orphons: Dispersed genetic elements derived from tandem repetitive genes of eucaryotes". Cell 23 (3): 651–663. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(81)90428-1. PMID 6784929. 
  2. Borden, P; Jaenichen, R; Zachau, H. G. (1990). "Structural features of transposed human VK genes and implications for the mechanism of their transpositions". Nucleic Acids Research 18 (8): 2101–7. doi:10.1093/nar/18.8.2101. PMID 2159639. 
  3. Eirín-López, J. M.; González-Tizón, A. M.; Martinez, A.; Méndez, J. (2002). "Molecular and evolutionary analysis of mussel histone genes (Mytilus spp.): possible evidence of an" orphon origin" for H1 histone genes". Journal of Molecular Evolution 55 (3): 272–283. doi:10.1007/s00239-002-2325-1. PMID 12187381. Bibcode2002JMolE..55..272E. 
  4. Guimond, A.; Moss, T. (1999). "A ribosomal orphon sequence from Xenopus laevis flanked by novel low copy number repetitive elements". Biological Chemistry 380 (2): 167–174. doi:10.1515/BC.1999.025. PMID 10195424. 
  5. Huber, C.; Thiebe, R.; Hameister, H.; Smola, H.; Lötscher, E.; Zachau, H. G. (1990). "A human immunoglobulin kappa orphon without sequence defects may be the product of a pericentric inversion". Nucleic Acids Research 18 (12): 3475–3478. doi:10.1093/nar/18.12.3475. PMID 2114012.