14 DAY TRIAL // An international team, led by researchers at the MIT and Harvard, announced the publication of the genome sequence of the dog and described how the data offer the potential for improving the health of man and man's best friend.
"When compared with the genomes of human and other important organisms, the dog genome provides a powerful tool for identifying genetic factors that contribute to human health and disease," said Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
"This milestone is especially gratifying because it will also directly benefit veterinary researchers' efforts to better understand and treat diseases afflicting our loyal canine companions," he added
The genetic journey started two years ago, when Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, co-director of the genome sequencing and analysis program, and her colleagues embarked on a two-part project to assemble a complete map of the dog genome.
In the first phase, they acquired high-quality DNA sequence covering nearly 99 percent of the dog genome, from a female boxer named Tasha.
Using the sequence information as a genetic "compass," they navigated the genomes of 10 different dog breeds and other related canine species, including the gray wolf and coyote. In this sampling, they pinpointed tiny spots of genetic variation, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which serve as recognizable signposts that can be used to locate the causes of genetic disease.
"The leading causes of death in dogs are a variety of cancers, and many of them are very similar biologically to human cancers. Using the dog genome sequence in combination with the human genome sequence will help researchers to narrow their search for many more of the genetic contributors underlying cancer and other major diseases," Dr. Elaine A. Ostrander, co-author of the paper, said.
The International HapMap Consortium has recently published a comprehensive catalog of human genetic variation, researchers managing to finalize Phase I HapMap, consisting of more than 1 million markers of genetic variation, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).