THE RIBOSOME AS A SOURCE OF GENOME HYPERVARIABILITY

In this report it is suggested that at early stages of evolution ribos omes were responsible for synthesizing short oligonucleotide cDNA pack ets which formed the protogenic tandem repetitive sequences. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) could have been the most probable template for such a synt hesis. rRNA has homology with the monomers of tandem hypervariable rep etitive elements of the genome. A model for the proposed participation of rRNA in the genesis of genomic fragments is provided by analysis o f the active center of GTP-binding proteins. The role of oligonucleoti des, synthesized by the ribosome, in the context of mechanisms of geno me regulation, genes responsible for disease and human longterm memory formation are also discussed.