Self-similarity in the DNA structure: Why are intrones necessary?

A. Yu Grosberg, Y. Rabin, S. Havlin, A. Neer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The implications of the hypothesis that the spatial structure of native DNA represents a so-called fresh or crumpled globule statistically free of knots are analysed. Since the crumpled globule has self-similarity or is fractal in space then fixation of a more or less defined course of the chain in it occurring for DNA of eukaryotes demands a certain self-similarity of the properties of the sequence. On this basis the authors quantitatively explain the recently discovered power correlation laws in the sequences of introne-containing genes, make predictions on the statistical properties of the native sequences of DNA some of which have already been confirmed experimentally and also formulate some more general hypotheses on the statistics of the still unread parts of the genetic texts, on the role of intrones as an instrument for fixation of the spatial structure of chromatin and on the possible self-similar pathway of evolutionary advent of such an apparatus.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)67-75
Number of pages9
JournalBiophysics (Russian Federation)
Volume38
Issue number1
StatePublished - 1993

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