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Phylogenetic evidence for multiple Alu source genes

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Summary

A member of the young PV Alu sub-family is detected in chimpanzee DNA showing that the PV subfamily is not specific to human DNA. This particular Alu is absent from the orthologous loci in both human and gorilla DNAs, indicating that PV subfamily members transposed within the chimpanzee lineage following the divergence of chimpanzee from both gorilla and human. These findings and previous reports describing the transpositional activity of other Alu sequences within the human, gorilla, and chimpanzee lineages provide phylogenetic evidence for the existence of multiple Alu source genes. Sequences surrounding this particular Alu resemble known transcriptional control elements associated with RNA polymerase III, suggesting a mechanism by which cis-acting elements might be acquired upon retrotransposition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of California, 95616, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Esther P. Leeflang, Chika Hashimoto & Carl W. Schmid

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of California, 95616, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Wen-Man Liu

  3. Department of Entomology, University of California, 95616, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Prabhakara V. Choudary

  4. UCD Antibody Engineering Laboratory, University of California, 95616, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Prabhakara V. Choudary

  5. Department of Genetics, University of California, 95616, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Carl W. Schmid

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  1. Esther P. Leeflang
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  2. Wen-Man Liu
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  3. Chika Hashimoto
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  4. Prabhakara V. Choudary
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  5. Carl W. Schmid
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Leeflang, E.P., Liu, WM., Hashimoto, C. et al. Phylogenetic evidence for multiple Alu source genes. J Mol Evol 35, 7–16 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160256

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160256

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