Gene splice sites correlate with nucleosome positions

Gene sequences in the vicinity of splice sites are found to possess dinucleoticle periodicities, especially RR and YY, with the period close to the pitch of nucleosome DNA. This confirms previously reported findings about preferential positioning of splice junctions within the nucleosomes. The RR and YY dinucleoticles oscillate counter-phase, i.e., their respective preferred positions are shifted about half-period from one another, as it was observed earlier for AA and TT dinucleotides. Species specificity of nucleosome positioning DNA pattern is indicated by the predominant use of the periodical GG(CC) dinucleotides in human and mouse genes, as opposed to predominant AA(TT) dinucleotides in Arabidopsis and C. elegans. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.