Abstract

The primate Alu family of repetitive elements has been widely characterized. This ubiquitous class of retroposons has been found to occupy some 5% of the human genome. This heterogenous group of Short Interspersed Nucleic add Elements (SINEs) has been theorized to possess an identifiable subfamily structure between and within various taxonomic levels in primates. It has been postulated that humans possess up to 6 Alu subfamilies in their genome; this number, however, has varied according to the method of analysis performed on the data. Quentin (1988) analyzed 127 aligned Alu sequences and found evidence supporting the amplification/fixation theory in 5 subfamilies. The research presented in this thesis posits that Quentin's method of alignment used in the correspondence analysis is questionable. A reexamination using an alternative, perhaps more tenable, alignment of the Alu sequences may allow for a more lucid and accurate identification of Alu subfamily structure in the human genome.

Graduation Date

1994

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Sweet, Haven C.

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Biology

Degree Program

Biology

Format

PDF

Language

English

Rights

Written permission granted by copyright holder to the University of Central Florida Libraries to digitize and distribute for nonprofit, educational purposes.

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Identifier

DP0011936

Contributor (Linked data)

Sweet, Haven C. [VIAF]

Sweet, Haven C. [LC]

Accessibility Status

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