GENES WITHOUT PROTEIN PRODUCTS : IS H19 THE NORM OR THE EXCEPTION?

• The increasing number of RNA polymease II transcripts without any apparent open reading frame has increased our awareness that gene functions can be selected for without involving a protein product.By using the H19 gene as a point of reference, we highlight here several common features among non-coding genes, such as their antisense position in subchromosomal expression domains which are often genomically imprinted. We also discuss the need to critically examine the translatability of transcripts which are considered non-coding. Finally, we present a model to explain the origin of non-coding genes.

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