De novo ORFs in Drosophila are important to organismal fitness and evolved rapidly from previously non-coding sequences.

ABSTRACT: How non-coding DNA gives rise to new protein-coding genes (de novo genes) is not well understood. Recent work has revealed the origins and functions of a few de novo genes, but common principles governing the evolution or biological roles of these genes are unknown. To better define these principles, we performed a parallel analysis of the evolution and function of six putatively protein-coding de novo genes described in Drosophila melanogaster. Reconstruction of the transcriptional history of de novo genes shows that two de novo genes emerged from novel long non-coding RNAs that arose at least 5 MY prior to evolution of an open reading frame. In contrast, four other de novo genes evolved a translated open reading frame and transcription within the same evolutionary interval suggesting tha

SUBMITTER: Reinhardt JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3798262 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature