The statement in the abstract of Rogozin et al. that ¿the introns-first scenario is not supported by any evidence¿ seems to refer to the particular version of ¿introns-first¿ which was developed from the ideas of Darryl Reanney by Penny and his colleagues [references 47 and 48 of the Rogozin paper]. There is, however, another ¿introns-first¿ scenario, which has considerable bioinformatic support and is in at least two textbooks [1, 2]. Since the Rogozin paper does ¿not attempt a comprehensive coverage¿ and appears to favor introns invading protein-encoding regions, rather than the converse, readers of Biology Direct might like to review the evidence for the ¿introns-first¿ scenario that I began to elaborate in 1981 [3, 4]. Full details may be found in my webpages. A course on introns for High School and College students may be accessed through You Tube (videos 37-54 of Forsdyke Evolution Academy).
1. Forsdyke DR: Evolutionary Bioinformatics.: 2nd edition. New York: Springer; 2011: 249¿266.
2. Forsdyke DR: The interrupted gene. In Lewin¿s Genes X. Edited by Krebs JE, Goldstein ES, Kilpatrick ST. Boston: Jones and Bartlett; 2011:79¿97, 172¿175.
3. Forsdyke DR: Are introns in-series error detecting sequences?. J Theoret Biol 1981, 93:861¿866.
4. Barrette IH, McKenna S, Taylor DR, Forsdyke DR: Introns resolve the conflict between base order-dependent stem-loop potential and the encoding of RNA or Protein: Further evidence from overlapping genes. Gene 2001, 270:181¿189.
Another ¿introns-first¿ scenario
7 June 2012
The statement in the abstract of Rogozin et al. that ¿the introns-first scenario is not supported by any evidence¿ seems to refer to the particular version of ¿introns-first¿ which was developed from the ideas of Darryl Reanney by Penny and his colleagues [references 47 and 48 of the Rogozin paper]. There is, however, another ¿introns-first¿ scenario, which has considerable bioinformatic support and is in at least two textbooks [1, 2]. Since the Rogozin paper does ¿not attempt a comprehensive coverage¿ and appears to favor introns invading protein-encoding regions, rather than the converse, readers of Biology Direct might like to review the evidence for the ¿introns-first¿ scenario that I began to elaborate in 1981 [3, 4]. Full details may be found in my webpages. A course on introns for High School and College students may be accessed through You Tube (videos 37-54 of Forsdyke Evolution Academy).
1. Forsdyke DR: Evolutionary Bioinformatics.: 2nd edition. New York: Springer; 2011: 249¿266.
2. Forsdyke DR: The interrupted gene. In Lewin¿s Genes X. Edited by Krebs JE, Goldstein ES, Kilpatrick ST. Boston: Jones and Bartlett; 2011:79¿97, 172¿175.
3. Forsdyke DR: Are introns in-series error detecting sequences?. J Theoret Biol 1981, 93:861¿866.
4. Barrette IH, McKenna S, Taylor DR, Forsdyke DR: Introns resolve the conflict between base order-dependent stem-loop potential and the encoding of RNA or Protein: Further evidence from overlapping genes. Gene 2001, 270:181¿189.
Competing interests
None