Short tandem repeats and gene organization in eukaryotes
Author Information
Author(s): Reinar William B., Krabberød Anders K., Lalun Vilde O., Butenko Melinka A., Jakobsen Kjetill S.
Primary Institution: University of Oslo
Hypothesis
The distribution of short tandem repeat (STR) motif repetitiveness in eukaryote genomes is largely unknown.
Conclusion
The study shows that short tandem repeats accumulate near genes and correlate with gene function and transcription factor profiles across eukaryotes.
Supporting Evidence
- Monomer and dimer STRs delineate gene bodies across the eukaryotic Tree of Life.
- Variation in gene-proximal repetitiveness landscapes correlated with gene function.
- Genes with housekeeping functions were depleted in upstream and downstream repetitiveness.
- Repetitiveness landscapes correlated with transcription factor binding sites.
- All surveyed genomes exhibited statistically significant shifts in ΔR.
Takeaway
Scientists found that certain DNA patterns, called short tandem repeats, are often found near genes and can affect how those genes work.
Methodology
The study analyzed whole-genome data from 1270 eukaryotic species to assess the repetitiveness of monomer and dimer STR motifs in gene-proximal regions.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to varying genome assembly quality and the criteria used to define STRs.
Limitations
The study did not consider the location of transcription start and stop sites due to inconsistent UTR annotations.
Participant Demographics
The study included 1270 eukaryotic species spanning seven eukaryotic supergroups.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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