Genetics, Vol. 152, 743-754, June 1999, Copyright © 1999

Origin of Gene Overlap: The Case of TCP1 and ACAT2

Seikou Shintania, Colm O'hUigina, Satoru Toyosawaa, Vera Michalováa, and Jan Kleina
a Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany

Corresponding author: Jan Klein, Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie, Abteilung Immungenetik, Corrensstr. 42, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany., jan.klein{at}tuebingen.mpg.de (E-mail)

Communicating editor: N. TAKAHATA

The human acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 2 gene, ACAT2, codes for a thiolase, an enzyme involved in lipid metabolism. The human T-complex protein 1 gene, TCP1, encodes a molecular chaperone of the chaperonin family. The two genes overlap by their 3'-untranslated regions, their coding sequences being located on opposite DNA strands in a tail-to-tail orientation. To find out how the overlap might have arisen in evolution, the homologous genes of the zebrafish, the African toad, caiman, platypus, opossum, and wallaby were identified. In each species, standard or long polymerase chain reactions were used to determine whether the ACAT2 and TCP1 homologs are closely linked and, if so, whether they overlap. The results reveal that the overlap apparently arose during the transition from therapsid reptiles to mammals and has been retained for >200 million years. Part of the overlapping untranslated region shows remarkable sequence conservation. The overlap presumably arose during the chromosomal rearrangement that brought the two unrelated and previously separated genes together. One or both of the transposed genes found by chance signals that are necessary for the processing of their transcripts to be present on the noncoding strand of the partner gene.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Genome ResHome page
N. Chen and L. D. Stein
Conservation and functional significance of gene topology in the genome of Caenorhabditis elegans
Genome Res., May 1, 2006; 16(5): 606 - 617.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Genome ResHome page
V. Veeramachaneni, W. Makalowski, M. Galdzicki, R. Sood, and I. Makalowska
Mammalian Overlapping Genes: The Comparative Perspective
Genome Res., February 1, 2004; 14(2): 280 - 286.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Biol. Reprod.Home page
Y. Ohinata, S. Sutou, M. Kondo, T. Takahashi, and Y. Mitsui
Male-Enhanced Antigen-1 Gene Flanked by Two Overlapping Genes Is Expressed in Late Spermatogenesis
Biol Reprod, December 1, 2002; 67(6): 1824 - 1831.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Immunol.Home page
H. Sultmann, A. Sato, B. W. Murray, N. Takezaki, R. Geisler, G.-J. Rauch, and J. Klein
Conservation of Mhc Class III Region Synteny Between Zebrafish and Human as Determined by Radiation Hybrid Mapping
J. Immunol., December 15, 2000; 165(12): 6984 - 6993.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Genome ResHome page
G. J. Kargul, R. Nagaraja, T. Shimada, M. J. Grahovac, M. K. Lim, H. Nakashima, P. Waeltz, P. Ma, E. Chen, D. Schlessinger, et al.
Eleven Densely Clustered Genes, Six of them Novel, in 176 kb of Mouse t-complex DNA
Genome Res., July 1, 2000; 10(7): 916 - 923.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
S. Shintani, J. Terzic, A. Sato, M. Saraga-Babic, C. O'hUigin, H. Tichy, and J. Klein
Do lampreys have lymphocytes? The Spi evidence
PNAS, June 6, 2000; (2000) 110505597.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
K. Takami, F. Figueroa, W. E. Mayer, and J. Klein
Ancient Allelism at the Cytosolic Chaperonin-{alpha}-Encoding Gene of the Zebrafish
Genetics, January 1, 2000; 154(1): 311 - 322.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
S. Shintani, J. Terzic, A. Sato, M. Saraga-Babic, C. O'hUigin, H. Tichy, and J. Klein
Do lampreys have lymphocytes? The Spi evidence
PNAS, June 20, 2000; 97(13): 7417 - 7422.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]