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Das Ausmaβ asymmetrischer Basenverteilung in eukaryotischen Genen

The extent of asymmetric distribution of DNA-bases in genes

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Summary

The correlation between the evolutionary rates of proteins and frequencies of DNA-bases in the first and in the second position of corresponding codons was investigated.

Adenine in the first and guanine in the second position showed the strongest positive correlation with evolutionary rate whereas cytosine in the first as well as in the second position showed a strong negative correlation. The correlation can not be explained by a significant change in GC-content but rather by the asymmetric distribution of the base pairs. The extent of pyrimidine/purine asymmetry was assessed quantitatively.

Variations in frequencies of bases lead to changed frequencies of neighbouring bases and thus to changed interactions between adjacent bases in the genes. Slowly evolving proteins are coded by genes with a maximum of thermodynamic interactions between the adjacent bases in the codogeneous chain as well as in the complementary chain. The genes for highly evolving proteins are characterized by minima interactions between adjacent bases.

The possible relations between asymmetry and mutability of genes are discussed.

Zusammenfassung

Die Korrelation zwischen den Evolutionsraten der Proteine und den Basenhäufigkeiten in den 1. und 2. Positionen der zugehorigen DNS-Codonen wurde untersucht.

Adenin in der 1. und Guanin in der 2. Triplettposition weisen die stärksten positiven Korrelationen mit den Evolutionsraten auf, während Cytosin sowohl in der 1. als auch in der 2. Position stark negativ korreliert. Die Korrelationen werden nicht durch verschiedene GC-Gehalte, sondern durch asymmetrische Verteilungen der Basen verursacht. Die dafiir verantwortliche Pyrimidin/Purin-Asymmetrie wurde quantitativ charakterisiert.

Veränderungen in den Basenhaufigkeiten führen zu veränderten Nachbarschaftshäufigkeiten und dadurch zu unterschiedlich starken Basenwechselwirkungen innerhalb der Gene: Proteine mit einer geringen Evolutionsrate werden durch Gene codiert, deren Wechselwirkungsenergien in erster Naherung sowohl im codogenen als auch im komplementaren Strang maximiert sind. Die Gene von Proteinen mit hohen Evolutionsraten sind durch geringere Wechselwirkungen zwischen benachbarten Basen charakterisiert.

Die möglichen Beziehungen zwischen Asymmetrie und Mutabilität der Gene werden diskutiert.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wissenschaftsbereich Genetik der Sektion Biowissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universitat, Halle (Saale), DDR

    R. Piechocki, W. Berg & A. Bergmann

  2. Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Archiv, Halle (Saale), DDR

    R. Piechocki, W. Berg & A. Bergmann

  3. Abteilung Analyse und Programmierung, Organisations- und Rechenzentrum der Martin-Luther-Universität, Halle (Saale), DDR

    R. Piechocki, W. Berg & A. Bergmann

Authors
  1. R. Piechocki
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  2. W. Berg
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  3. A. Bergmann
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Communicated by R. Hagemann

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Piechocki, R., Berg, W. & Bergmann, A. Das Ausmaβ asymmetrischer Basenverteilung in eukaryotischen Genen. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 49, 265–271 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00275131

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