Short tandem repeats and gene function 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, Oslo, Norway
Hypothesis
The distribution of short tandem repeat (STR) motif repetitiveness in eukaryote genomes is largely unknown.
Conclusion
STRs accumulate near genes and correlate with gene function and transcription factor profiles across eukaryotes.
Supporting Evidence
- STRs are hypermutable and correlate with gene expression variation.
- Monomer and dimer STRs delineate gene bodies across eukaryotes.
- Variation in gene-proximal repetitiveness landscapes correlates with gene function.
- Genes with housekeeping functions are depleted in upstream and downstream repetitiveness.
Takeaway
Scientists studied tiny DNA repeats called STRs and found they are important for how genes work in plants and animals.
Methodology
Analyzed whole-genome data from 1270 eukaryotic species to assess STR repetitiveness in gene-proximal regions.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to varying genome assembly quality and taxonomic representation.
Limitations
The study did not consider the location of transcription start and stop sites due to inconsistent UTR annotations.
Participant Demographics
Included 1270 species spanning seven eukaryotic supergroups.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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