Identifying characteristic scales in the human genome

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2007 Mar;75(3 Pt 1):032903. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.75.032903. Epub 2007 Mar 16.

Abstract

The scale-free, long-range correlations detected in DNA sequences contrast with characteristic lengths of genomic elements, being particularly incompatible with the isochores (long, homogeneous DNA segments). By computing the local behavior of the scaling exponent alpha of detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), we discriminate between sequences with and without true scaling, and we find that no single scaling exists in the human genome. Instead, human chromosomes show a common compositional structure with two characteristic scales, the large one corresponding to the isochores and the other to small and medium scale genomic elements.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Chromosome Mapping / methods*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Contig Mapping
  • DNA Mutational Analysis / methods*
  • Genetic Code / genetics*
  • Genetic Variation / genetics
  • Genome, Human / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Quantitative Trait Loci / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*