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  • Title: The Xmrk oncogene can escape nonfunctionalization in a highly unstable subtelomeric region of the genome of the fish Xiphophorus.
    Author: Volff JN, Körting C, Froschauer A, Zhou Q, Wilde B, Schultheis C, Selz Y, Sweeney K, Duschl J, Wichert K, Altschmied J, Schartl M.
    Journal: Genomics; 2003 Oct; 82(4):470-9. PubMed ID: 13679027.
    Abstract:
    The Xmrk oncogene involved in melanoma formation in the fish Xiphophorus was formed relatively recently by duplication of the epidermal growth factor co-orthologue egfrb. In the platyfish X. maculatus, Xmrk is located close to the major sex-determining locus in a subtelomeric region of the X and Y sex chromosomes that frequently undergoes duplications and other rearrangements. This region accumulates repetitive sequences: more than 80% of the 33-kb region 3' of Xmrk is constituted by retrotransposable elements. The high degree of nucleotide identity between X- and Y-linked sequences and the rarity of gonosome-specific rearrangements indicated that the instability observed was not a manifestation of gonosome-specific degeneration. Seven other duplicated genes were found, all corresponding, in contrast to Xmrk, to pseudogenes (nonfunctionalization). Functional persistence of Xmrk in a highly unstable region in divergent Xiphophorus species suggests a beneficial function under certain conditions for this dispensable and potentially injurious gene.
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