Implications of sequence variation on the evolution of rRNA.
Matthew M ParksChad M KuryloJake E BatchelderC Theresa VincentScott C BlanchardPublished in: Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology (2019)
The evolution of the multi-copy family of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes is unique in regard to its genetics and genome evolution. Paradoxically, rRNA genes are highly homogenized within and between individuals, yet they are globally distinct between species. Here, we discuss the implications for models of rRNA gene evolution in light of our recent discoveries that ribosomes bearing rRNA sequence variants can affect gene expression and physiology and that intra-individual rRNA alleles exhibit both context- and tissue-specific expression.