To take full advantage of the mouse as a model organism, it is essential to distinguish lineage-specific biology from what is shared between human and mouse. Investigations into shared genetic elements common to both have been well served by the draft human and mouse genome sequences. More recently, the virtually complete euchromatic sequences of the two reference genomes have been finished. These reveal a high (∼5%) level of sequence duplications that had previously been recalcitrant to sequencing and assembly. Within these duplications lie large numbers of rodent- or primate-specific genes. In the present paper, we review the sequence properties of the two genomes, dwelling most on the duplications, deletions and insertions that separate each of them from their most recent common ancestor, approx. 90 million years ago. We consider the differences in gene numbers and repertoires between the two species, and speculate on their contributions to lineage-specific biology. Loss of ancient single-copy genes are rare, as are gains of new functional genes through retrotransposition. Instead, most changes to the gene repertoire have occurred in large multicopy families. It has been proposed that numbers of such ‘environmental genes' rise and fall, and their sequences change, as adaptive responses to infection and other environmental pressures, including conspecific competition. Nevertheless, many such genes may be under little or no selection.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
August 2009
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
Conference Article|
July 22 2009
Separating derived from ancestral features of mouse and human genomes
Chris P. Ponting;
Chris P. Ponting
1
1MRC Functional Genomics Unit, University of Oxford, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email chris.ponting@dpag.ox.ac.uk).
Search for other works by this author on:
Leo Goodstadt
Leo Goodstadt
1MRC Functional Genomics Unit, University of Oxford, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
February 10 2009
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Biochemical Society
2009
Biochem Soc Trans (2009) 37 (4): 734–739.
Article history
Received:
February 10 2009
Citation
Chris P. Ponting, Leo Goodstadt; Separating derived from ancestral features of mouse and human genomes. Biochem Soc Trans 1 August 2009; 37 (4): 734–739. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0370734
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Captcha Validation Error. Please try again.