Animal Genomics
Editor: Bhanu Chowdhary, College Station, Tex.

Paper

Chicken genome sequence: a centennial gift to poultry genetics
J.B. Dodgson

Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (USA)

Address of Corresponding Author

Cytogenet Genome Res 2003;102:291-296 (DOI: 10.1159/000075765)

  Abstract.

A draft sequence of the chicken genome will be available by early 2004. This event conveniently marks the start of the second century of poultry genetics, coming 100 years after the use of the chicken to demonstrate Mendelian inheritance in animals by William Bateson. How will the second, post-genomic century of poultry genetics differ from the first? A whole genome shotgun (WGS) approach is being used to obtain the chicken sequence, with the goal of generating approximately six-fold coverage of the genome. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and fosmid clone end sequences, along with a BAC contig map integrated with genetic linkage and radiation hybrid maps, will form the platform for assembly of the WGS data. Rapid progress in global analysis of chicken gene expression patterns is also being made. Comparative genomics will link these new discoveries to the knowledge base for all other animal species. It's hoped that the genome sequence will also provide common ground on which to unite studies of the chicken as a model species with those aimed at agriculturally-relevant applications. The current status of chicken genomics will be assessed with projections for its near and long term future.   

Copyright © 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Request reprints from Jerry Dodgson
Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
2209 Biomedical & Physical Sciences Building
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 488242-4320 (USA)
telephone: +1 517 355-6463 x1556; fax: +1 517 353-8957
email: dodgson@msu.edu

  Article Information

Supported by the USDA/CSREES-National Research Initiative (Project numbers: 99-35205-8566 and 2001-52100-11225) and Regional Research funds from the USDA-CSREES National Animal Genome Research Program, NRSP-8.

Received 30 May 2003;
revision accepted 28 July 2003.
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 43