The human transcriptome map reveals extremes in gene density, intron length, GC content, and repeat pattern for domains of highly and weakly expressed genes

Genome Res. 2003 Sep;13(9):1998-2004. doi: 10.1101/gr.1649303. Epub 2003 Aug 12.

Abstract

The chromosomal gene expression profiles established by the Human Transcriptome Map (HTM) revealed a clustering of highly expressed genes in about 30 domains, called ridges. To physically characterize ridges, we constructed a new HTM based on the draft human genome sequence (HTMseq). Expression of 25,003 genes can be analyzed online in a multitude of tissues (http://bioinfo.amc.uva.nl/HTMseq). Ridges are found to be very gene-dense domains with a high GC content, a high SINE repeat density, and a low LINE repeat density. Genes in ridges have significantly shorter introns than genes outside of ridges. The HTMseq also identifies a significant clustering of weakly expressed genes in domains with fully opposite characteristics (antiridges). Both types of domains are open to tissue-specific expression regulation, but the maximal expression levels in ridges are considerably higher than in antiridges. Ridges are therefore an integral part of a higher order structure in the genome related to transcriptional regulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Base Composition
  • Codon
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • GC Rich Sequence / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Genes*
  • Humans
  • Introns*
  • Multigene Family
  • Organ Specificity / genetics
  • Physical Chromosome Mapping*
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*
  • Short Interspersed Nucleotide Elements
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • Codon