Conserved noncoding elements follow power-law-like distributions in several genomes as a result of genome dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Conserved, ultraconserved and other classes of constrained elements (collectively referred as CNEs here), identified by comparative genomics in a wide variety of genomes, are non-randomly distributed across chromosomes. These elements are defined using various degrees of conservation between organisms and several thresholds of minimal length. We here investigate the chromosomal distribution of CNEs by studying the statistical properties of distances between consecutive CNEs. We find widespread power-law-like distributions, i.e. linearity in double logarithmic scale, in the inter-CNE distances, a feature which is connected with fractality and self-similarity. Given that CNEs are often found to be spatially associated with genes, especially with those that regulate developmental processes, w

SUBMITTER: Polychronopoulos D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4008492 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature