Cited research: PLoS Biol. 8, e1000371 (2010)

Previous work has suggested that much more of the mammalian genome is transcribed into RNA than can be accounted for by known genes. Researchers in Canada now challenge this idea, showing that most of the unaccounted for 'dark matter' RNA transcripts are from within or near genes.

Timothy Hughes and his colleagues at the University of Toronto analysed RNA sequence data from humans and mice. The data were obtained by direct sequencing, a more accurate way of revealing RNA sequences than previous microarray-based methods.

The authors conclude that less of the genome is transcribed than earlier work had suggested. M.L.P.