( only laboratory animal known in which u...)Researchers publish first marsupial genome sequence

only laboratory animal known in which ultraviolet radiation alone can cause melanoma, a type of skin cancer that also strikes humans exposed to too much of the sun's ultraviolet rays. Having the sequence of the opossum genome will give researchers the ability to learn more about the molecular basis of melanoma and its progression, as well as explore development of new therapies and preventive treatments.

The opossum genome sequence also provides researchers with a fresh perspective on the evolutionary origins of the human genome. It sheds light on the genetic differences between placental mammals, such as humans, mice and dogs, and marsupial mammals, such as opossums and kangaroos.

"Marsupials are the closest living relatives of placental mammals. Because of this relationship, the opossum genome offers a unique lens though which to view the evolution of our own genome," said Kirstin Lindblad-Toh, Ph.D., co-director of the Broad Institute's genome sequencing and analysis program and the study's senior author.

Marsupials and the ancestors of placental mammals diverged 180 million years ago. By comparing the opossum and human genomes, researchers were able to pinpoint genetic elements that are present in placental mammals, but missing from marsupials —that is, the genetic factors that may underlie many of the differences between the two types of mammals.

Interestingly, about one-fifth of the key functional elements in the human genome arose during this relatively recent evolutionary period. By focusing on the recent genetic innovations, the scientists made two major findings:

• First, the vast majority (about 95 percent) of recent genetic innovation lies not in protein-coding genes, but in regions of the genome that do not contain genes and that many had referred to as junk DNA until recently. Researchers now know that junk DNA may contain regulatory elements that influence the activity of nearby genes, but the
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Source:NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute


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