Journal article
Testing the Exon Theory of Genes: The Evidence from Protein Structure
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.265(5169), pp.202-207
07/08/1994
DOI: 10.1126/science.8023140
PMID: 8023140
Abstract
A tendency for exons to correspond to discrete units of protein structure in protein-coding genes of ancient origin would provide clear evidence in favor of the exon theory of genes, which proposes that split genes arose not by insertion of introns into unsplit genes, but from combinations of primordial mini-genes (exons) separated by spacers (introns). Although putative examples of such correspondence have strongly influenced previous debate on the origin of introns, a general correspondence has not been rigorously proved. Objective methods for detecting correspondences were developed and applied to four examples that have been cited previously as evidence of the exon theory of genes. No significant correspondence between exons and units of protein structure was detected, suggesting that the putative correspondence does not exist and that the exon theory of genes is untenable.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Testing the Exon Theory of Genes: The Evidence from Protein Structure
- Creators
- Arlin Stoltzfus - Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR) Program in Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4H7 CanadaDavid F Spencer - Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR) Program in Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4H7 CanadaMichael Zuker - CIAR Program in Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biomedical Computing, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USAJohn M Logsdon - Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USAW. Ford Doolittle - Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR) Program in Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4H7 Canada
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.265(5169), pp.202-207
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.8023140
- PMID
- 8023140
- ISSN
- 0036-8075
- eISSN
- 1095-9203
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/08/1994
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984217422302771
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