Low frequency rhythms in human DNA sequences: a key to the organization of gene location and orientation?

Phys Rev Lett. 2004 Sep 3;93(10):108101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.108101. Epub 2004 Aug 31.

Abstract

We explore large-scale nucleotide compositional fluctuations of the human genome using multiresolution techniques. Analysis of the GC content and of the AT and GC skews reveals the existence of rhythms with two main periods of 110+/-20 kb and 400+/-50 kb that enlighten a remarkable cooperative gene organization. We show that the observed nonlinear oscillations are likely to display all the characteristic features of chaotic strange attractors which suggests a very attractive deterministic picture: gene orientation and location, in relation with the structure and dynamics of chromatin, might be governed by a low-dimensional nonlinear dynamical system.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AT Rich Sequence
  • Base Composition / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Clocks*
  • Chromosome Mapping / methods*
  • Computer Simulation
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / genetics*
  • Genome, Human*
  • Humans
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nonlinear Dynamics
  • Periodicity
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*

Substances

  • DNA