The Role of Retrotransposons in Gene Family Expansions in the Human and Mouse Genomes.

ABSTRACT: Retrotransposons comprise a large portion of mammalian genomes. They contribute to structural changes and more importantly to gene regulation. The expansion and diversification of gene families have been implicated as sources of evolutionary novelties. Given the roles retrotransposons play in genomes, their contribution to the evolution of gene families warrants further exploration. In this study, we found a significant association between two major retrotransposon classes, LINEs and LTRs, and lineage-specific gene family expansions in both the human and mouse genomes. The distribution and diversity differ between LINEs and LTRs, suggesting that each has a distinct involvement in gene family expansion. LTRs are associated with open chromatin sites surrounding the gene families, supporting

SUBMITTER: Janousek V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5631067 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature