Selection Pressures on RNA Sequences and Structures. (August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nowick, Katja; Walter Costa, Maria Beatriz; Höner zu Siederdissen, Christian; Stadler, Peter F
• Is Part Of: Evolutionary bioinformatics online. Volume 15(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-08
• Subjects: RNA -- consensus structure -- structural conservation -- positive selection; Bioinformatics -- Periodicals; Evolutionary computation -- Periodicals; Genetic programming (Computer science) -- Periodicals; Computational Biology; Evolution, Molecular; Bioinformatics; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodicals; 576.8
• DOI: 10.1177/1176934319871919
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1176-9343

Abstract

With the discovery of increasingly more functional noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), it becomes eminent to more strongly consider them as important players during species evolution. Although tests for negative selection of ncRNAs already exist since the beginning of this century, theSSS-test is the first one for also investigating positive selection. When analyzing selection in ncRNAs, it should be taken into account that selection pressures can independently act on sequence and structure. We applied theSSS-test to explore the evolution of ncRNAs in primates and identified more than 100 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that might evolve under positive selection in humans. With this test, it is now possible to more thoroughly include ncRNAs into evolutionary studies.