Comparative genomics reveals birth and death of fragile regions in mammalian evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An important question in genome evolution is whether there exist fragile regions (rearrangement hotspots) where chromosomal rearrangements are happening over and over again. Although nearly all recent studies supported the existence of fragile regions in mammalian genomes, the most comprehensive phylogenomic study of mammals raised some doubts about their existence.

Results

Here we demonstrate that fragile regions are subject to a birth and death process, implying that fragility has a limited evolutionary lifespan.

Conclusions

This finding implies that fragile regions migrate to different locations in different mammals, explaining why there exist only a few chromosomal breakpoints shared between different lineages. The birth and death of fragile regions as

SUBMITTER: Alekseyev MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3156956 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature