ABSTRACT In Drosophila, five replication-dependent type histone genes are typically coded within a single repetitive unit. The repetitive units of histone genes are repeated numerous times in tandem, more than 100 times in Drosophila melanogaster, and constitute a multigene family. Given that the histone gene family evolved in a concerted fashion, it is well suited for studying mechanisms associated with this mode of evolution. Here we review various findings related to the histone gene family in Drosophila, focusing specifically on the following points: (1) Genomic structure of the histone gene family in Drosophila (2) Heterogeneity of the members of the histone gene family in Drosophila (3) Divergence of histone genes between Drosophila species (4) Mechanisms associated with the concerted mode of evolution in the histone gene family of Drosophila
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