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On the origin of coding sequences from random open reading frames

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Summary

The size distribution of 411 randomly selected mammalian exons was investigated. This distribution was found to be unimodal with a frequency maximum of 120 bp. Detailed analysis of the distribution demonstrated that larger exons (>150 bp) have a high goodness of fit to the size distribution of open reading frames (ORFs) in a random sequence, i.e., (61/64)t in which t is the number of triplets. Based on this observation, the general character of the total exon size distribution suggested that this could be defined by a theoretical distribution by superimposing a sigmoid function on the ORF generating function, i.e., (61/64)t×fs(t)×E in which fs(t) is a sigmoid function and E is a constant. We tested this distribution for fitness to the exon distribution using two sigmoid functions. fs(t)=Φ(t) and fs(t)=Bekt/1+Bekt. In both cases a very high goodness of fit was attained. It is concluded that exons have been generated from ORFs in random sequences, that ORFs larger than 150 bp have been selected, irrespective of size, as exons, and that a lower size limit exists below which the probability of an ORF being selected as an exon is very low. These results provide evidence at the molecular level to support the ideas that (1) larger exons have been selected from random ORFs without primary correlation to structural or functional properties at the protein level, (2) there exists a restriction on smaller ORFs to be selected as exons, and (3) the interrupted coding sequences found in eukaryotes represent the ancient form of gene organization that existed prior to the divergence of prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 29, S-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Mattias Höglund & Dan Röhme

  2. Department of Crop Genetics and Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-268 00, Svalöf, Sweden

    Torbjörn Säll

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  1. Mattias Höglund
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  2. Torbjörn Säll
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  3. Dan Röhme
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Höglund, M., Säll, T. & Röhme, D. On the origin of coding sequences from random open reading frames. J Mol Evol 30, 104–108 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02099936

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02099936

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