An approach to the problem of whether clustering of functionally related genes occurs in higher organisms

Abstract

A Statistical analysis of the genome of D. melanogaster indicates that functionally related genes tend to be found on a particular chromosome and, when their locations within a given chromosome are measured in terms of map units, show a tendency to cluster; this clustering within chromosomes, however, is completely accounted for by the known clustering of all genes within chromosomes. Thus the analysis does not reveal any obvious functional significance for the arrangement of the genes within the chromosomes of this organism.