Abstract
DNA SEQUENCES have been analysed using models, such as an it-step Markov chain, that incorporate the possibility of short-range nucleotide correlations1. We propose here a method for studying the stochastic properties of nucleotide sequences by constructing a 1:1 map of the nucleotide sequence onto a walk, which we term a 'DNA walk'. We then use the mapping to provide a quantitative measure of the correlation between nucleotides over long distances along the DNA chain. Thus we uncover in the nucleotide sequence a remarkably long-range power law correlation that implies a new scale-invariant property of DNA. We find such long-range correlations in intron-containing genes and in nontranscribed regulatory DNA sequences, but not in complementary DNA sequences or intron-less genes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tavaré, S. & Giddings, B. W. in Mathematical Methods for DNA Sequences (ed. Waterman M. S.) 117–132 (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1989).
Montroll, E. W. & Shlesinger, M. F. in Nonequilibrium Phenomena II. From Stochastics to Hydrodynamics (eds Lebowitz, J. L. & Montroll, E. W.) 1–121 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1984).
Stanley, H. E. Introduction to Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena 120–121 (Oxford University Press, London, 1971).
Li, W. Santa Fe Institute Technical Report No. SFI-91-02 (1991).
Dutta, P. & Horn, P. M. Rev. mod. Phys. 53, 497–516 (1981).
Bak, P., Tang, C. & Wiesenfeld, K. Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 381–384 (1987).
Shlesinger, M. F. Rev. phys. Chem. 39, 269–290 (1988).
Doolittle, W. F. in Intervening Sequences in Evolution and Development (eds Stone, E & Schwartz, R.) 42–62 (Oxford University Press, New York, 1990).
Gilbert, W. Nature 271, 501 (1978).
Darnell, J. E. Jr Science 202, 1257–1260 (1978).
Doolittle, W. F. Nature 272, 581–582 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peng, CK., Buldyrev, S., Goldberger, A. et al. Long-range correlations in nucleotide sequences. Nature 356, 168–170 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/356168a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/356168a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Dynamic Relationship Between Plasmonic Metasurface Geometric Parameters and Transmission Spectrum: A New Perspective Based on Multifractal Analysis and Prediction
Plasmonics (2023)
-
Correlated disorder as a way towards robust superconductivity
Communications Physics (2022)
-
The impact of long-term memory on the climate response to greenhouse gas emissions
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2022)
-
Fractional Processes and Their Statistical Inference: An Overview
Journal of the Indian Institute of Science (2022)
-
Data Mining Study on Prescription Patterns of Different Dosage Forms of Chinese Herbal Medicines for Treating and Improving Immune-Inflammatory Indices in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (2022)