Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (626 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide or of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that is similar across multiple species. A known set of conserved sequences is represented by a consensus sequence. amino acid motifs are often composed of conserved sequences.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Conserved Sequences; Sequence, Conserved; Sequences, Conserved.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Molecular Structure
- Narrower topics
- Consensus Sequence
- See also
- Consensus Sequence; Amino Acid Motifs
Related concepts
- Consensus Sequence
- Amino Acid Motifs
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 45,443 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Conserved Sequence” (counts retrieved 2026-10-29). 1,972 of them (4.3%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2000-2009 with 17,805 records.
Reviews account for 2,205 records (4.9%) and meta-analyses for 29. Randomized controlled trials number 9 (0.0%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 13,306 |
| 2000-2009 | 17,805 |
| 2010-2019 | 12,360 |
| 2020 onward | 1,972 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2,205 | 4.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 29 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 9 | 0.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Conserved Sequence"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-29.
Reading the evidence in molecular biology
Molecular biology establishes mechanisms through controlled experiments, often in simplified systems such as purified proteins, cultured cells or model organisms. Such work can show what is possible in a defined system, but whether a pathway matters in a whole organism or in human disease needs further evidence. Check the experimental system, whether findings were reproduced by independent groups, and whether the authors tested the mechanism directly or inferred it from correlation.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A mammalian methylation array for profiling methylation levels at conserved sequences | 2022 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 185 | cc by PMID 35145108 · DOI · PMC8831611 |
| Topologically associating domains are ancient features that coincide with Metazoan clusters of extreme noncoding conservation | 2017 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 159 | cc by PMID 28874668 · DOI · PMC5585340 |
| A potent broadly neutralizing human RSV antibody targets conserved site IV of the fusion glycoprotein | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 144 | cc by PMID 31515478 · DOI · PMC6742648 |
| Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network proposal for a consensus gene panel for pan-cancer sequencing: a Delphi methodology | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 41206382 · DOI · PMC12820137 |
A mammalian methylation array for profiling methylation levels at conserved sequences [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Infinium methylation arrays are not available for the vast majority of non-human mammals.
- Closing excerpt
- The mammalian methylation array has several strengths: it applies to all mammalian species even those that have not yet been sequenced, it provides deep coverage of conserved cytosines facilitating the development of epigenetic biomarkers, and it increases the probability that biological insights gained in one species will translate to others.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (150 words)
Infinium methylation arrays are not available for the vast majority of non-human mammals. Moreover, even if species-specific arrays were available, probe differences between them would confound cross-species comparisons. To address these challenges, we developed the mammalian methylation array, a single custom array that measures up to 36k CpGs per species that are well conserved across many mammalian species. We designed a set of probes that can tolerate specific cross-species mutations. We annotate the array in over 200 species and report CpG island status and chromatin states in select species. Calibration experiments demonstrate the high fidelity in humans, rats, and mice. The mammalian methylation array has several strengths: it applies to all mammalian species even those that have not yet been sequenced, it provides deep coverage of conserved cytosines facilitating the development of epigenetic biomarkers, and it increases the probability that biological insights gained in one species will translate to others.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35145108 · DOI · PMC8831611
Topologically associating domains are ancient features that coincide with Metazoan clusters of extreme noncoding conservation [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Developmental genes in metazoan genomes are surrounded by dense clusters of conserved noncoding elements (CNEs).
- Closing excerpt
- Here, the authors provide evidence that these clusters coincide with distinct topologically associating domains in humans and Drosophila, revealing a conserved regulatory genomic architecture.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (183 words)
Developmental genes in metazoan genomes are surrounded by dense clusters of conserved noncoding elements (CNEs). CNEs exhibit unexplained extreme levels of sequence conservation, with many acting as developmental long-range enhancers. Clusters of CNEs define the span of regulatory inputs for many important developmental regulators and have been described previously as genomic regulatory blocks (GRBs). Their function and distribution around important regulatory genes raises the question of how they relate to 3D conformation of these loci. Here, we show that clusters of CNEs strongly coincide with topological organisation, predicting the boundaries of hundreds of topologically associating domains (TADs) in human and Drosophila. The set of TADs that are associated with high levels of noncoding conservation exhibit distinct properties compared to TADs devoid of extreme noncoding conservation. The close correspondence between extreme noncoding conservation and TADs suggests that these TADs are ancient, revealing a regulatory architecture conserved over hundreds of millions of years.Metazoan genomes contain many clusters of conserved noncoding elements. Here, the authors provide evidence that these clusters coincide with distinct topologically associating domains in humans and Drosophila, revealing a conserved regulatory genomic architecture.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28874668 · DOI · PMC5585340
A potent broadly neutralizing human RSV antibody targets conserved site IV of the fusion glycoprotein [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of hospitalization and infant mortality under six months of age worldwide; therefore, the prevention of RSV infection in all infants represents a significant unmet medical need.
- Closing excerpt
- RB1 is the parental antibody to MK-1654 which is currently in clinical development for the prevention of RSV infection in infants.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (118 words)
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of hospitalization and infant mortality under six months of age worldwide; therefore, the prevention of RSV infection in all infants represents a significant unmet medical need. Here we report the isolation of a potent and broadly neutralizing RSV monoclonal antibody derived from a human memory B-cell. This antibody, RB1, is equipotent on RSV A and B subtypes, potently neutralizes a diverse panel of clinical isolates in vitro and demonstrates in vivo protection. It binds to a highly conserved epitope in antigenic site IV of the RSV fusion glycoprotein. RB1 is the parental antibody to MK-1654 which is currently in clinical development for the prevention of RSV infection in infants.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31515478 · DOI · PMC6742648
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network proposal for a consensus gene panel for pan-cancer sequencing: a Delphi methodology [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundThe Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) Network supports UK-wide access to experimental cancer therapies, many of which require specific genomic alterations.
- Closing excerpt
- It supports harmonised diagnostics and could improve patient access to personalised therapies and research trials across clinical and NHS settings.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (175 words)
BackgroundThe Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) Network supports UK-wide access to experimental cancer therapies, many of which require specific genomic alterations. This study aimed to develop expert consensus on essential genes for a pan-cancer sequencing panel, involving subject matter experts (SMEs) from the ECMC Network and the pharmaceutical industry.MethodsA pilot with 8 SMEs graded 526 genes, refining the list to 210. A three-round Delphi process was then used, with SMEs iteratively evaluating each gene. In the final round, SMEs also assessed the inclusion of tumour mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and mutation types (structural variations, copy number variations, and/or fusions).ResultsConsensus was reached on a final panel of 99 genes applicable across multiple cancers. High agreement was also achieved for including TMB, MSI, and screening for structural variations, copy number variants, and fusions. The panel is intended for both adult and paediatric tumour types.ConclusionsThis consensus-based gene panel offers a standardised approach to pan-cancer genomic screening. It supports harmonised diagnostics and could improve patient access to personalised therapies and research trials across clinical and NHS settings.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41206382 · DOI · PMC12820137
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article AMP-activated/SNF1 protein kinases: conserved guardians of cellular energy [5]
- Research article Integration of oxygen signaling at the consensus HRE [6]
- Research article What are the consequences of the disappearing human microbiota? [7]
- Research article (S)NO signals: translocation, regulation, and a consensus motif [8]
- Research article PDZ domains: fundamental building blocks in the organization of protein complexes at the plasma membrane [9]
- Research article Dead-box proteins: a family affair--active and passive players in RNP-remodeling [10]
References
- Arneson A, Haghani A, Thompson MJ, Pellegrini M, Kwon SB, Vu H, et al.. A mammalian methylation array for profiling methylation levels at conserved sequences. . 2022. PMID 35145108 · DOI · PMC8831611
- Harmston N, Ing-Simmons E, Tan G, Perry M, Merkenschlager M, Lenhard B. Topologically associating domains are ancient features that coincide with Metazoan clusters of extreme noncoding conservation. . 2017. PMID 28874668 · DOI · PMC5585340
- Tang A, Chen Z, Cox KS, Su HP, Callahan C, Fridman A, et al.. A potent broadly neutralizing human RSV antibody targets conserved site IV of the fusion glycoprotein. . 2019. PMID 31515478 · DOI · PMC6742648
- Phillips R, Basu B, Butt Z, Beloueche M, Cook N, Crabb SJ, et al.. Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network proposal for a consensus gene panel for pan-cancer sequencing: a Delphi methodology. . 2026. PMID 41206382 · DOI · PMC12820137
- Hardie DG. AMP-activated/SNF1 protein kinases: conserved guardians of cellular energy. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007. PMID 17712357 · DOI
- Wenger RH, Stiehl DP, Camenisch G. Integration of oxygen signaling at the consensus HRE. Sci STKE. 2005. PMID 16234508 · DOI
- Blaser MJ, Falkow S. What are the consequences of the disappearing human microbiota?. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2009. PMID 19898491 · DOI · PMC9354563
- Stamler JS, Toone EJ, Lipton SA, Sucher NJ. (S)NO signals: translocation, regulation, and a consensus motif. Neuron. 1997. PMID 9182795 · DOI
- Fanning AS, Anderson JM. PDZ domains: fundamental building blocks in the organization of protein complexes at the plasma membrane. J Clin Invest. 1999. PMID 10079096 · DOI · PMC408156
- Linder P. Dead-box proteins: a family affair--active and passive players in RNP-remodeling. Nucleic Acids Res. 2006. PMID 16936318 · DOI · PMC1616962
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-29.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.