Multigene Family
A set of genes descended by duplication and variation from some ancestral gene. Such genes may be clustered together on the same chromosome or dispersed on different chromosomes. Examples of multigene families include those that encode the hemoglobins, immunoglobulins, histocompatibility antigens, actins, tubulins, keratins, collagens, heat shock proteins, salivary glue proteins, chorion proteins, cuticle proteins, yolk proteins, and phaseolins, as well as histones, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA genes. The latter three are examples of reiterated genes, where hundreds of identical genes are present in a tandem array. (King and Stanfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)
Year introduced: 1997
PubMed search builder options
Subheadings:
Tree Number(s): G05.360.340.024.340.645
MeSH Unique ID: D005810
Entry Terms:
- Families, Multigene
- Family, Multigene
- Multigene Families
- Gene Clusters
- Cluster, Gene
- Clusters, Gene
- Gene Cluster
- Genes, Reiterated
- Gene, Reiterated
- Reiterated Gene
- Reiterated Genes
Previous Indexing:
See Also: