Relationship between exons and domains in the fibrinogen molecule

Abstract

The correlation between domains structure of the fibrinogen molecule and the exon/intron composition of the genes encoding the three fibrinogen polypeptide chains has been analysed. A coincidence of the borders between structural domains and corresponding exons in the N-terminal parts of the molecule was revealed, while no such correlation was found in the C-terminal parts. The analysis indicates that the domain structure of the fibrinogen molecule and the exon/intron structure of its genes evolved independently during the later stage of evolution. This analysis also allowed delineation of the exact borders between some domains and prediction of the existence of additional domains in the central part of the fibrinogen molecule.