A Big MOOve--The Cow Genome is Sequenced
The long sought after cow genome has been sequenced. Heralded as a milestone in animal genetics, unraveling the cow genome will provide scientists with “tantalizing clues to explain the essence of bovinity.” Two papers describing the results of the project will appear in today's issue of the journal Science.
The cow who donated its DNA for sequencing was a Hereford named LI Dominette 01449 and is one of the estimated 94 million bovines in the US. The project, led by researchers at National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was a gargantuan effort that spanned six years and involved more than 300 scientists from 25 countries and cost only $53 million. Based on sequence analyses, cows haver 22,000 genes as compared with 20,000 to 25,000 for humans. Some of the other findings include:
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Cattle and humans have about 80 percent of their genes in common
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The organization of human chromosomes is closer to that of domestic cattle than to those of rats or mice, which are often used in lab tests of drugs intended for people.
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Cattle chromosomes, like those of humans and other mammals, contain segmental duplications, which are large, almost identical copies of DNA present in at least two locations in a genome.
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In domestic cattle, there are duplications related to immunity, metabolism, digestion, reproduction and lactation. Such duplications in humans have been related to a variety of disorders.
Researchers hope that elucidating the bovine genome will help them find ways to improve milk and meat production, develop new strategies to treat and prevent diseases and to reduce the carbon foot print of cows that release large amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Great news to receive on National DNA Day!
Science rocks.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
