Homopolymeric tracts represent a general regulatory mechanism in prokaryotes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While, traditionally, regulation of gene expression can be grouped into transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms, some mechanisms of rapid genetic variation can also contribute to regulation of gene expression, e.g., phase variation.

Results

We show here that prokaryotes evolved to include homopolymeric tracts (HTs) within coding genes as a system that allows for efficient gene inactivation. Analyses of 81 bacterial and 18 archaeal genomes showed that poly(A) and poly(T) HTs are overrepresented in these genomes and preferentially located at the 5' end of coding genes. Location of HTs at the 5' end is not driven by a preferential placement of aminoacids encoded by the AAA and TTT codons at the N-terminal of proteins. The inlA gene of the pa

SUBMITTER: Orsi RH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2831843 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature