Evolutionary dynamics of a conserved sequence motif in the ribosomal genes of the ciliate Paramecium.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In protozoa, the identification of preserved motifs by comparative genomics is often impeded by difficulties to generate reliable alignments for non-coding sequences. Moreover, the evolutionary dynamics of regulatory elements in 3' untranslated regions (both in protozoa and metazoa) remains a virtually unexplored issue.

Results

By screening Paramecium tetraurelia's 3' untranslated regions for 8-mers that were previously found to be preserved in mammalian 3' UTRs, we detect and characterize a motif that is distinctly conserved in the ribosomal genes of this ciliate. The motif appears to be conserved across Paramecium aurelia species but is absent from the ribosomal genes of four additional non-Paramecium species surveyed, including another ciliate, Tetrahymena ther

SUBMITTER: Catania F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2874801 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature