Biological (genomic) information Dan Janies

C Value paradox The amount of DNA in the haploid genome of a species does not correlate with its morphological complexity.

Transcription polymerase forms mRNA from DNA

Translation ribosome forms protein from mRNA

Regulation CIS regulatory elements: DNA sequences in the vicinity of the structural portion of a gene that are required for gene expression such as: promoters enhancers silencers Trans-acting factors: proteins that bind to the cis-acting sequences to control gene expression such as: products of regulatory genes generalized specific

Variation Insertion-deletion mutations

Variation Substitution mutations Transversions Transitions

Variation Transcriptional control can be modified by the insertion of transposable elements (e.g. Alu sequences) or mutation.

Post-transcriptional variation Alternative pre-mRNA splicing have lately been shown to take place for at least half of the genes among human and other eukaryotes. Differential splicing is probably more the rule than the exception.

C Value variation Genome sizes among flowering plants vary dramatically over almost 3 orders of magnitude, Genome size variation greatly exceeds estimates of differences in gene numbers. Plant genomes expand by several mechanisms, including polyploidization, transposition, and gene duplication.

Synteny: comparison of genomic sequence data of two different species facilitates the identification of novel genes and conserved regulatory elements.

Population level variation Natural selection Sexual reproduction (independent assortment in meiosis) Gene flow Genetic drift

Suggested Reading ftp://ftp.amnh.org/pub/people/djanies/bmi731 White FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS AND THE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT, VARIATION AND EVOLUTION Searls PHARMACOPHYLOGENOMICS: GENES, EVOLUTION AND DRUG TARGETS Rubin and Hall PERSPECTIVES FOR VASCULAR GENOMICS