# Investigating mechanisms of de novo gene birth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $65,310

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Genetic diversity amongst species is due in part to the de novo emergence of new genes from
noncoding regions of the genome. New genes that have emerged de novo have been found in
every species thus far examined, including hundreds that have been identified in humans, and
many disease-associated mutations are found in human-specific genes. “Proto-genes,” which
display features intermediate between genic and non-genic sequences, may represent the pool
from which de novo gene birth takes place, but very little is known about the extent,
regulation, and physiological consequences of proto-gene expression. The goal of this
proposal is to explore proto-gene expression in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
through an integration of in silico and in vivo approaches. Proto-gene transcription will be
assessed through a re-analysis of RNA-sequencing datasets, which will lead to predictions
about the factors that govern proto-gene expression. Proto-gene translation will also be
examined by both a re-analysis of mass spectrometry datasets and by high-throughput
cloning followed by western blotting, and the structural features of proto-gene translation
products will be examined computationally. Finally, by screening a proto-gene overexpression
library for effects on fitness under various stress conditions, the adaptive potential of proto-
gene expression will be examined. The studies proposed here will enhance our understanding
both of the mechanisms that underpin de novo gene birth as well as the cellular function(s) of
these proto-genes.
!

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10000118
- **Project number:** 5F32GM129929-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** S. Branden Van Oss
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $65,310
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10000118

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10000118, Investigating mechanisms of de novo gene birth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (5F32GM129929-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10000118. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*