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Review
. 1989 Dec;29(6):504-12.
doi: 10.1007/BF02602922.

Maintenance of function without selection: Alu sequences as "cheap genes"

E Zuckerkandl  1 , G Latter, J Jurka
Affiliations
Review

Maintenance of function without selection: Alu sequences as "cheap genes"

E Zuckerkandl et al. J Mol Evol. 1989 Dec.

Abstract

Continued insertion into the genome of functional Alu sequences is expected to compensate for the functional eclipse of older sequences attributable to structural adulteration and can be presumed to establish a renewable store of functional sequences at a relatively elevated numerical level. This store of functional sequences could be maintained at almost no selective cost. A strategy of maintaining function in multiple sequence copies with selection limited to a very few master (source) sequences may be resorted to also by other types of DNA sequences that are generated repeatedly during evolution and that are spread over many sectors of the genome.

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References

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    1. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Aug 11;14 (15):6145-58 - PubMed
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