Origin and Length Distribution of Unidirectional Prokaryotic Overlapping Genes. Issue 1 (1st January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fonseca, Miguel M; Harris, D James; Posada, David
• Is Part Of: G3. Volume 4:Issue 1(2014)
• Page Start: 19
• Page End: 27
• Publication Date: 2014-01-01
• Subjects: overlapping genes -- prokaryotic genomes -- unidirectional genes -- overlap length distribution; Genetics -- Research -- Periodicals; Genomics -- Periodicals; Genetics; Genomics; Genes; Genetics -- Research; Genomics; Electronic journals; Periodical; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 572.8
• DOI: 10.1534/g3.113.005652
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2160-1836

Abstract

Abstract: Prokaryotic unidirectional overlapping genes can be originated by disrupting and replacing of the start or stop codon of one protein-coding gene with another start or stop codon within the adjacent gene. However, the probability of disruption and replacement of a start or stop codon may differ significantly depending on the number and redundancy of the start and stop codons sets. Here, we performed a simulation study of the formation of unidirectional overlapping genes using a simple model of nucleotide change and contrasted it with empirical data. Our results suggest that overlaps originated by an elongation of the 3′-end of the upstream gene are significantly more frequent than those originated by an elongation of the 5′-end of the downstream gene. According to this, we propose a model for the creation of unidirectional overlaps that is based on the disruption probabilities of start codon and stop codon sets and on the different probabilities of phase 1 and phase 2 overlaps. Additionally, our results suggest that phase 2 overlaps are formed at higher rates than phase 1 overlaps, given the same evolutionary time. Finally, we propose that there is no need to invoke selection to explain the prevalence of long phase 1 unidirectional overlaps. Rather, the overrepresentation of long phase 1 relative to long phase 2 overlaps might occur because it is highly probable that phase 2 overlaps are retained as short overlaps by chance. Such a pattern is stronger if selection against very long overlaps is included in the model. Our model as a whole is able to explain to a large extent the empirical length distribution of unidirectional overlaps in prokaryotic genomes.