The anticipated completion of two of the most biomedically relevant genomes, mouse and human, within the next three years provides an unparalleled opportunity for the large-scale exploration of genome evolution. Targeted sequencing of genomic regions in a panel of primate species and comparison to reference genomes will provide critical insight into the nature of single-base pair variation, mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangement, patterns of selection, and species adaptation. Although not recognized as model "genetic organisms" because of their longevity and low fecundity, 30 of the ∼300 primate species are targets of biomedical research. The existence of a human reference sequence and genomic primate BAC libraries greatly facilitates the recovery of genes/genomic regions of high biological interest because of an estimated maximum neutral nucleotide sequence divergence of 25%. Primate species, therefore, may be regarded as the ideal model "genomic organisms". Based on existing BAC library resources, we propose the construction of a panel of primate BAC libraries from phylogenetic anchor species for the purpose of comparative medicine as well as studies of genome evolution.
CITATION STYLE
Eichler, E. E., & Dejong, P. J. (2002). Biomedical applications and studies of molecular evolution: A proposal for a primate genomic library resource. Genome Research. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.250102
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