Origin of Genes

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.15.7698
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:42:40Z
• Authors: Walter Gilbert; Sandro J. de Souza; Manyuan Long
• Keywords: Exon shuffling

We discuss two tests of the hypothesis that first genes were assembled from exons. The exon shuffling in progenote predicts intron phases will be correlated so exons an integer number codons and with compact regions polypeptide chain. These predictions have been tested on ancient conserved proteins (proteins without introns prokaryotes but eukaryotes) hold high statistical significance. conclude are features 15-, 22-, or 30-amino acid residues long, as was predicted by “The Exon Theory Genes.”