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- Title
Megabase deletions of gene deserts result in viable mice.
- Authors
Nóbrega, Marcelo A; Zhu, Yiwen; Plajzer-Frick, Ingrid; Afzal, Veena; Rubin, Edward M
- Abstract
The functional importance of the roughly 98% of mammalian genomes not corresponding to protein coding sequences remains largely undetermined. Here we show that some large-scale deletions of the non-coding DNA referred to as gene deserts can be well tolerated by an organism. We deleted two large non-coding intervals, 1,511 kilobases and 845 kilobases in length, from the mouse genome. Viable mice homozygous for the deletions were generated and were indistinguishable from wild-type littermates with regard to morphology, reproductive fitness, growth, longevity and a variety of parameters assaying general homeostasis. Further detailed analysis of the expression of multiple genes bracketing the deletions revealed only minor expression differences in homozygous deletion and wild-type mice. Together, the two deleted segments harbour 1,243 non-coding sequences conserved between humans and rodents (more than 100 base pairs, 70% identity). Some of the deleted sequences might encode for functions unidentified in our screen; nonetheless, these studies further support the existence of potentially 'disposable DNA' in the genomes of mammals.
- Publication
Nature, 2004, Vol 431, Issue 7011, p988
- ISSN
1476-4687
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1038/nature03022