Work

Lowly Expressed Human MicroRNA Genes Evolve Rapidly

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: To study the evolution of human microRNAs (miRNAs), we examined nucleotide variation in humans, sequence divergence between species, and genomic clustering patterns for miRNAs with different expression levels. We found that expression level is a major indicator of the rate of evolution and that approximately 30% of currently annotated human miRNA genes are almost free of selective pressure.

Source: Molecular Biology and Evolution

DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msp053

Authors: Han Liang, Wen-Hsiung Li

Institutions: University of Chicago, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica

Language: English

Topic: Chromosomal and Genetic Variations

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences