Analyzing Conserved Non-Coding DNA Sequences in the Human Genome

Abstract

The human genome encloses information about the human in 23 pairs of chromo- somes. The Human Genome Project which was completed in 2003 revealed that the human genome contains about 25000 genes which is fewer than had been expected before sequencing. As a result of sequencing the entire genome it has been found out that, in addition to protein coding DNA sequences the human genome contains a considerable amount of non-coding DNA sequences. Comparative genomic analysis, which means comparing similar genomic regions from di erent organisms, have been shown some success in analyzing the distribution of non-coding sequences. The sim- ilarities between the genome sequences of highly divergent organisms describes these similar regions imply functional constraints. So conserved non-coding regions play a vital role among DNA sequences suggesting they are not non-functional. Based on this hypothesis the research was carried out in analyzing the conserved non-coding sequences in the human genome. For the study we used CNSs identi ed by a genomic comparison between the human and zebra sh (Danio reiro) genomes. The distribu- tion of the number of genes and the amount of CNSs in the chromosomes shows a signi cant similarity. Results of our study proves that there is a some kind of associa- tion between the CNSs and nearby located gene's biological process. Therefore it can be thought as there is some control from non-coding regions to the biological process of the genes. Since the complexity of the genome doesnot depennd on the amount of genes it encloses we suggest that the reason for complexity of the human genome may reside inside these CNSs.