Human genome analysis hints at new proteins involved in gene ...( new genomic information they also reve...)

Green explained that pseudogenes are "fossils" of real genes. "But the genome hasnt expressed them," he said. "It has kept them there, but they dont do anything.

"I suspect that many of these new genes are not pseudogenes. In some cases we can find them in databases of expressed genes. And, they are conserved to a higher degree than I would have predicted if they were pseudogenes. If they were just not expressed, there would be no evolutionary constraint to maintain sequence conservation."

The findings raise a number of intriguing questions that will take time to sort out, says Green. "These findings are very interesting and exciting, but, of course, now we really have to figure out what they mean in the context of gene expression. Are these additional proteins made during certain times of development? In certain cells? What are they doing? What are their target genes? But we wouldnt be in a position to ask these questions if we didnt know these candidates existed."

Many of the new genes appear to express subunits of larger protein complexes. Further study will be needed to understand how they are involved in those complexes. "As with any discovery, it opens up a whole series of new questions and approaches that we can explore," Green said.

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Contact: Jim Keeley
keeleyj@hhmi.org
301-215-8858
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
11-Feb-2001