MDS Arrangements and MDS Descriptors

Abstract

In this chapter we shall introduce two formalizations of the MDS structure of genes, viz., MDS arrangements and MDS descriptors. MDS arrangements result from representing each elementary or composite MDS by its own symbol, and then by representing the MDS structure of a micronuclear or an intermediate gene by the string of symbols corresponding to the sequence of MDSs. On the other hand. MDS descriptors follow the key observation concerning gene assembly (stated in Chap. 2) that it is not the whole structure of MDSs but only their repeat sequences (pointers) that guide gene assembly. Therefore, in the framework of MDS descriptors each MDS is represented by the pair of its pointers, with each pointer represented by its own symbol. Correspondingly, the IUS descriptor of a micronuclear or an intermediate gene is the string of pairs of pointers corresponding to the sequence of MDSs.