Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 21, 2007
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Citation: Zarlenga, D.S., Makedonka, M., Rosenthal, B.M., Hoberg, E.P. 2007. The phylogeny and genome of trichinella species. Meeting Abstract.
Technical Abstract:
In 2004, funding was received by Washington University’s Genome Sequencing Center through NHGRI, to completely sequence several nematode genomes as part of a holistic effort to advance our understanding of the human genome. <I> Trichinella spiralis </I> was among this group because of its strategic location at the base of the Nematoda phylum, and the belief that extant species represented a divergent event that occurred as early as the Paleozoic. At the same time, a concerted effort was put forth to solidify the phylogeny of extant species of <I> Trichinella </I> based upon molecular analyses of a multi-gene system in order to form a framework for understanding the history of the genus and thereby enhance utilization of the forthcoming sequence data. Since the inception of this research, several findings have surfaced; 1) contrary to conventional belief, extant species of <I> Trichinella </I> probably diverged as little as 20 million years ago; 2) the genome size of <I> T. spiralis </I> (71.3 Mb) is substantially smaller than originally predicted (270 Mb); 3) the 3.5 million sequence reads assembled into a 59.3 Mb unique sequence, of which 19% comprise repetitive elements and; 4) expansion of the EST and genome sequence database confirmed that <I> T. spiralis</I> shares a similar proportion (45%) of its ESTs with the nematode <I>Caenorhabditis elegans</I> (Rhabditina) as it does with the fruitfly <I> Drosophila melanogaster </I> (Arthropoda: Drosophilidae). Updated information on the sequencing effort will be presented.
Printable Version
E-mail this page
