Untranslated Gene Regions and Other Non-coding Elements: Regulation of Eukaryotic Gene Expression by Lucy W. Barrett , Sue Fletcher , Steve D. WiltonEnglish | PDF | 2013 | 63 Pages | ISBN : 3034806787 | 2.5 MB
There is now compelling evidence that the complexity of higher organisms correlates with the relative amount of non-coding RNA rather than the number of protein-coding genes. Previously dismissed as “junk DNA”, it is the non-coding regions of the genome that are responsible for regulation, facilitating complex temporal and spatial gene expression through the combinatorial effect of numerous mechanisms and interactions working together to fine-tune gene expression. The major regions involved in regulation of a particular gene are the 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions and introns. In addition, pervasive transcription of complex genomes produces a variety of non-coding transcripts that interact with these regions and contribute to regulation.