Gene conversion

Gene conversion occurs when one allele of a gene is lost and is then, replaced by an alternative allele. Gene conversion is a process that occurs without having been a reciprocal recombination event. The conversion of the gene can be classified into allelic where one allele of the same gene replaces another allele, or ectopic, when a paralogous DNA sequence converts another. Genetic studies have shown that, typically, only small sections of DNA undergo gene conversion, and in many cases, only a portion of a gene is altered.