Ultraconserved Elements in the Genome: Are They Indispensable?

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Though lacking the noncoding ultraconserved element uc467 this female mouse appears perfectly healthy. (Photo by Nadav Ahituv)
Though lacking the noncoding ultraconserved element uc467, this female mouse appears perfectly healthy. (Photo by Nadav Ahituv)

Three years ago, "ultraconserved elements" were discovered in the genomes of mice, rats, and humans. These are DNA sequences 200 base pairs in length or longer — some are over 700 base pairs long — showing 100-percent identity among the three species. They have been perfectly conserved since the last common ancestor of mice, rats, and humans, which lived some 85 million years ago.


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