Selection against tandem splice sites affecting structured protein regions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alternative selection of splice sites in tandem donors and acceptors is a major mode of alternative splicing. Here, we analyzed whether in-frame tandem sites leading to subtle mRNA insertions/deletions of 3, 6, or 9 nucleotides are under natural selection.

Results

We found multiple lines of evidence that the human protein coding sequences are under selection against such in-frame tandem splice events, indicating that these events are often deleterious. The strength of selection is not homogeneous within the coding sequence as protein regions that fold into a fixed 3D structure (intrinsically ordered) are under stronger selection, especially against sites with a strong minor splice site. Investigating structures of functional protein domains, we found that tandem a

SUBMITTER: Hiller M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2279118 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature