Organism-Specific Sequence Motifs Link Ribosomal RNAs to Brain Disorders.

ABSTRACT: We report that in humans, mice, fruit flies, and worms, the ribosomal RNAs and the transcribed spacers of 45S are densely packed with organism-specific sequence motifs that are primarily shared with nervous system genes. The human ribosomal RNAs and 45S spacers contain 1,723 such motifs. Specific combinations of these motifs are predominantly found in 3,430 human nervous system genes, of which 1,046 are genes associated with brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. The sequences of the 1,723 motifs and their locations in the introns and exons of nervous system genes are unique to primates. Experimental evidence indicates that the motifs are contact points for ribosomal-RNA|messenger-RNA and messenger-RNA|messenger-RNA heteroduplexes, present in the binding sit

SUBMITTER: Rigoutsos I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12515603 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature