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The “clustered structure” of the purines/pyrimidines distribution in DNA distinguishes systematically between coding and non-coding sequences

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Abstract

A method allowing to measure the inhomogeneous distribution of purines/pyrimidines in nucleotide sequences is developed. We show that this measure relates to the coding or non-coding character of the considered sequence. Coding sequences present a near to the random Pu or Py distribution. This property is shared by both protein-coding DNA and functional RNA-coding DNA. Non-coding sequences present a highly clustered inhomogeneity. We propose the hypothesis, corroborated with appropriate computer simulations, that this is due to the action of various transposition events accumulated for long time periods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, National Research Center for Physical Sciences “Demokritos”, 15310, Athens, Greence

    Yannis Almirantis

  2. Molecular Modelling of Materials Laboratory, Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Research Center for Physical Sciences “Demokritos”, 15310, Athens, Greece

    Astero Provata

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  1. Yannis Almirantis
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  2. Astero Provata
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Almirantis, Y., Provata, A. The “clustered structure” of the purines/pyrimidines distribution in DNA distinguishes systematically between coding and non-coding sequences. Bltn Mathcal Biology 59, 975–992 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02460002

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02460002

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