Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2010-10
Sequence Variability and Sequence Evolution: An Explanation of Molecular Polymorphisms and Why Many Molecular Structures Can Be Preserved Although They Are Not Predominant
The existence of many processes that regulate RNA expression poses a challenge to the idea that the cell is the culmination of a highly efficient interplay of individual proteins, each with specific, highly specialized functions. It will be demonstrated here the extent to which the cell may undergo evolutionary processes that also occur in the macrocosmos, specifically with reference to the rules of mutation and preservation. These molecular evolutionary processes could facilitate a better understanding of the development of molecular structures and the functioning of the cell and could give an explanation of the molecular polymorphisms and also explain why many molecular structures can be preserved although they are not predominant.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AyalaF.2000. Neutralism and selectionism: the molecular clock. Gene, 261:27–33.
2.
BeargieC., LiuT., CorriveauM., LeeH.Y., GottJ., BundschuhR.2008. Genome annotation in the presence of insertional RNA editing. Bioinformatics, 24:2571–2578.
3.
Cairns-SmithA.G.2008. Chemistry and the missing era of evolution. Chemistry, 14:3830–3839.
4.
DiernfellnerA., ColotH.V., DintsisO., LorosJ.J., DunlapJ.C., BrunnerM.2007. Long and short isoforms of Neurospora clock protein FRQ support temperature-compensated circadian rhythms. FEBS Lett, 581:5759–5764.
5.
EllingtonA.D., ChenX., RobertsonM., SyrettA.2009. Evolutionary origins and directed evolution of RNA. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 41:254–265.
6.
ENCODE Project Consortium. 2004. The ENCODE (ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements) Project. Science, 306:636–640.
LaurencikieneJ., KällmanA., FongN., BentleyD., OhmanM.2006. RNA editing and alternative splicing: the importance of co-transcriptional coordination. EMBO Rep, 7:303–307.
19.
LeeC., WangQ.2005. Bioinformatics analysis of alternative splicing. Brief Bioinform, 6:23–33.
20.
Lev-MaorG., RamO., KimE., SelaN., GorenA., LevanonE., AstG.2008. Intronic Alus influence alternative splicing. PLoS Genet, 4:e1000204.
LongM., de SouzaS.J., GilbertW.1995. Evolution of the intron-exon structure of eukaryotic genes. Curr Opin Genet Dev, 5:774–778.
23.
MaasS., KawaharaY., TamburroK.M., NishikuraK.2006. A-to-I RNA editing and human disease. RNA Biol, 3:1–9.
24.
Meléndez-HeviaE., Montero-GómezN., MonteroF.2008. From prebiotic chemistry to cellular metabolism—the chemical evolution of metabolism before Darwinian natural selection. J Theor Biol, 252:505–519.
25.
Möller-KrullM., ZemannA., RoosC., BrosiusJ., SchmitzJ.2008. Beyond DNA: RNA editing nd steps toward Alu exonization in primates. J Mol Biol, 382:601–609.
26.
OttoS.P., HastingsI.M.1998. Mutation and selection within the individual. Genetica, 103:507–524.
27.
PellioniszA.J.2008. The principle of recursive genome function. Cerebellum, 7:348–359.
28.
PennisiE.2007. DNA study forces rethink of what it means to be a gene. Science, 316:1556–1557.
29.
PepperJ.W., HerronM.D.2008. Does biology need an organism concept?Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 83:621–627.
30.
RasmussenS., ChenL., DeamerD., DeamerD., KrakauerD.C., PackardN.H., StadlerP.F., BedauM.A.2004. Evolution. Transitions from nonliving to living matter. Science, 303:963–965.
SeeligB.2008. An autocatalytic network for ribozyme self-construction. Nat Chem Biol, 4:654–655.
33.
SehgalA.2008. Ac-ing the clock. Neuron, 57:8–10.
34.
StaigerD., ZeccaL., WieczorekD., ApelK., EcksteinL.2003. The circadian clock regulated RNA-binding protein AtGRP7 autoregulates ist expression by influencing alternative splicing of ist own pre-mRNA. Plant J, 33:361–371.
35.
TeminH.M., BaltimoreD.1972. RNA-directed DNA synthesis and RNA tumor viruses. Adv Virus Res, 17:129–186.
36.
ZhengX., SehgalA.2008. Probing the relative importance of molecular oscillations in the circadian clock. Genetics, 178:1147–1155.
