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Mouse to man: The story of chromosomes
April 20, 2006The complete sequencing of human chromosome 17 and mouse chromosome 11 offers unique insights into the evolution of the genome of higher mammals, said a Baylor College of Medicine researcher who participated in this effort reported in today's issue of the journal Nature.
The work represents the first time that a mouse chromosome has been completely sequenced and annotated, said Dr. James R. Lupski, vice chair and professor in the BCM department of molecular and human genetics and professor of pediatrics. This presented scientists with the opportunity to examine intensively the similarities and differences in the DNA sequence of human and mouse.
Lupski was brought into the work while he was on sabbatical at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England, last year. The Sanger Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard were the primary institutions involved in the sequencing effort. However, scientists at Sanger dubbed a portion of chromosome 17 the Lupski segment because he has spent so much time dealing with that portion of the genome in his effort to identify gene mutations that result in disease. They sought his expertise on the chromosome.
Chromosome 17 is particularly rich in disease genes such as BRCA1 (the first identified breast cancer gene); NF1 (neurofibromatosis); the gene associated with repairing DNA damage that might otherwise result in cancer (TP53); Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS), and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A10 (the most common type of inherited nerve disorder [CMT1A]).
The study of this chromosome gives a clearer picture of how genome changes through evolution, Lupski said. For example, breaks in synteny or the maintenance of the order of genes between species coincide with changes in the architecture of the chromosome itself. In some cases, DNA repeats get in the way. In others, there are rearrangements of the genome that occur during the process of cell reproduction.
"As we go up the mammalian line, and particularly in primate, it is obvious that rearrangement in the genome is the predominant force in the evolution of genomes," said Lupski. That is particularly evident in this report that allows carefully comparison of the mouse and human chromosomes.
"Perhaps one way to evolve faster is not by making changes in base pairs (the chemicals that make up DNA), but by changing chunks of genome," said Lupski.
The sequencing of chromosome 17 and mouse chromosome 11 was an international effort involving researchers from around the globe.
Baylor College of Medicine
Chromosome 17 is particularly rich in disease genes such as BRCA1 (the first identified breast cancer gene); NF1 (neurofibromatosis); the gene associated with repairing DNA damage that might otherwise result in cancer (TP53); Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS), and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A10 (the most common type of inherited nerve disorder [CMT1A]).
The study of this chromosome gives a clearer picture of how genome changes through evolution, Lupski said. For example, breaks in synteny or the maintenance of the order of genes between species coincide with changes in the architecture of the chromosome itself. In some cases, DNA repeats get in the way. In others, there are rearrangements of the genome that occur during the process of cell reproduction.
"As we go up the mammalian line, and particularly in primate, it is obvious that rearrangement in the genome is the predominant force in the evolution of genomes," said Lupski. That is particularly evident in this report that allows carefully comparison of the mouse and human chromosomes.
"Perhaps one way to evolve faster is not by making changes in base pairs (the chemicals that make up DNA), but by changing chunks of genome," said Lupski.
The sequencing of chromosome 17 and mouse chromosome 11 was an international effort involving researchers from around the globe.
Baylor College of Medicine
Chromosomes Current Events and Chromosomes News RSSScientists at UA, collaborating institutions decode maize genome
Scientists from the University of Arizona led by Arizona Genomics Institute director Rod A. Wing and from collaborating institutions have deciphered the complete genetic code of the maize plant for the first time.
New map of variation in maize genetics holds promise for developing new varieties
A new study of maize has identified thousands of diverse genes in genetically inaccessible portions of the genome. New techniques may allow breeders and researchers to use this genetic variation to identify desirable traits and create new varieties that were not easily possible before.
New Maize Map to Aid Plant Breeding Efforts
In a massive survey of genetic diversity in maize, also known as corn, researchers across the United States, have developed a gene map that should pave the way to significant improvements in a plant that is a major source of food, fuel, animal feed and fiber around the world.
Chromosomes dance and pair up on the nuclear membrane
Meiosis - the pairing and recombination of chromosomes, followed by segregation of half to each egg or sperm cell - is a major crossroads in all organisms reproducing sexually.
Largest gene study of childhood IBD identifies 5 new genes
In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions, including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease.
NIH-funded researchers transform embryonic stem cells into human germ cells
Researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have discovered how to transform human embryonic stem cells into germ cells, the embryonic cells that ultimately give rise to sperm and eggs.
A solution to Darwin's 'mystery of the mysteries' emerges from the dark matter of the genome
Biological species are often defined on the basis of reproductive isolation. Ever since Darwin pointed out his difficulty in explaining why crosses between two species often yield sterile or inviable progeny (for instance, mules emerging from a cross between a horse and a donkey), biologists have struggled with this question.
Common weed could provide clues on aging and cancer
A common weed and human cancer cells could provide some very uncommon details about DNA structure and its relationship with telomeres and how they affect cellular aging and cancer, according to a team led by scientists from Texas A&M University and the University of Cincinnati (UC).
CSHL-led team discovers rare mutation dramatically increasing schizophrenia risk
An international team of researchers led by geneticist Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), has identified a mutation on human chromosome 16 that substantially increases risk for schizophrenia.
Standards for a new genomic era
A team of geneticists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, together with a consortium of international researchers, has recently proposed a set of standards designed to elucidate the quality of publicly available genetic sequencing information.
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