An interesting phenomenon found in vertebrate DNAis the existence of pseudogenes, nonfunctional copiesof a gene found elsewhere in the genome. Some pseudogenes appear to have originated as double-strandedDNA copies of mature mRNA inserted into the chromosome; these copies later underwent mutations tomake them into pseudogenes.a. What sequence information might provide cluesthat the original source of some of these pseudogenes is cDNA copied in cells from mRNA andthen inserted into the genome?b. Would this mechanism of generating pseudogenesbe more likely to have operated if the pseudogenewas part of a gene family clustered in one region ofthe genome, or if it was instead part of a genefamily whose members are scattered around thegenome? Explain
An interesting phenomenon found in vertebrate DNA
is the existence of pseudogenes, nonfunctional copies
of a gene found elsewhere in the genome. Some pseudogenes appear to have originated as double-stranded
DNA copies of mature mRNA inserted into the chromosome; these copies later underwent mutations to
make them into pseudogenes.
a. What sequence information might provide clues
that the original source of some of these pseudogenes is cDNA copied in cells from mRNA and
then inserted into the genome?
b. Would this mechanism of generating pseudogenes
be more likely to have operated if the pseudogene
was part of a gene family clustered in one region of
the genome, or if it was instead part of a gene
family whose members are scattered around the
genome? Explain
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