The Reality of Pervasive Transcription
Author Information
Author(s): Clark Michael B., Amaral Paulo P., Schlesinger Felix J., Dinger Marcel E., Taft Ryan J., Rinn John L., Ponting Chris P., Stadler Peter F., Morris Kevin V., Morillon Antonin, Rozowsky Joel S., Gerstein Mark B., Wahlestedt Claes, Hayashizaki Yoshihide, Carninci Piero, Gingeras Thomas R., Mattick John S.
Primary Institution: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland
Hypothesis
Is the majority of the human genome transcribed into RNA?
Conclusion
The evidence strongly supports that the mammalian genome is pervasively transcribed.
Supporting Evidence
- At least 63% of the genome is transcribed based on cDNA sequencing.
- 93% of genomic bases are transcribed in at least one cell type.
- Previous studies validated up to 94% of identified transcripts using independent techniques.
Takeaway
Scientists found that most of our DNA is turned into RNA, even parts that don't make proteins, which is surprising.
Methodology
The study evaluated multiple independent techniques and re-analyzed data from previous studies.
Potential Biases
The conclusions drawn may be biased due to the dismissal of certain types of transcripts and reliance on specific data sources.
Limitations
The analysis of van Bakel et al. lacked independent validation and had insufficient sequencing depth.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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