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Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

Orthologues, Paralogues and Xenologues in Human and Other Genomes advanced

Standard Article

Olga Zhaxybayeva, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
J Peter Gogarten, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
Lorraine Olendzenski, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, USA

DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0005298.pub2
Article Online Posting Date: March 14, 2008

Abstract | Full Text: HTML PDF (125K)

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Abstract

Homologous genes share a common evolutionary ancestor and can be orthologues (derived from speciation events), paralogues (derived from gene duplication events) or xenologues (derived from horizontal transfer or lineage fusion). Comparative analysis of the human genome indicates high levels of recent and ancient duplication at the level of nucleotides, genes and chromosome segments, and no unambiguous examples of recent transfer from bacteria.

Keywords: gene duplication; homology; orthology; paralogy; xenology