GENE-SPLICING - SPATIAL SEPARATION OF OVERLAPPING MESSAGES

A hypothesis is described on the nature of gene splicing. It is based largely on the notion of multiplicity of codes carried by the nucleoti de sequences. That is, not only the classical triplet code is harbored by the sequences, but at least several other codes of different natur e-like chromatin code and framing code. The codes all overlap, so that one and the same letter frequently, if not always, partakes in severa l messages of different types. Such overlapping, however, compromises each of the necessarily degenerate messages involved, so that the best functional performance (closeness of the corresponding sequence patte rn to an ideal one) of each one of them can only be achieved if the me ssages (codes) are spatially separated, not superimposed anymore. This is suggested as a possible reason for the original insertion of numer ous intervening sequences into eukaryotic genes. Due to this fragmenta tion of the protein-coding sequences the exons, presumably, are primar ily loaded by this coding function, while intervening sequences are pr imarily responsible for formation of sequence-specific chromatin struc ture. Computer experiments with the sequences are described, strongly supporting this view on the nature of gene splicing in eukaryotes.