%0 Journal Article
%T X sequence published
%A Stephen Pincock
%J Genome Biology
%D 2005
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/gb-spotlight-20050317-01
%X The Sanger Institute's Mark Ross and colleagues in the US and Germany determined 99.3% of the chromosome's euchromatic sequence and found 1,098 genes, including 399 "new" genes and 99 cancer-testis antigen genes.But more than simply improving our understanding of individual genes, the sequence offers a powerful insight into the evolution of the chromosome itself, Ross told reporters at a press conference in London. "We can see the way evolution has shaped the chromosomes that determine our gender to give them their unique properties," he said. "The X chromosome is definitely the most extraordinary in the human genome."Ross and colleagues offer some comparison of the sequence with that of the chicken to explore the development of the X chromosome from an autosome, which is thought to have occurred something like 300 million years ago. "Comparing the sequence of human X as it is with what is known about the sequences of other animal chromosomes allows you to tell where the X chromosome came from," said Robin Lovell-Badge from the National Institute for Medical Research, who wasn't involved in the study. "They've done some of that, but there's a lot more to be done."Looking at more recent evolutionary history, the authors compared the human X chromosome with other mammalian sequences, finding nine major blocks of homology between human and mouse X chromosomes and 11 between human and rat. "The homology blocks occupy almost the entirety of each X chromosome, confirming the remarkable degree of conserved synteny of this chromosome within the eutherian mammalian lineage," they write.The team's analysis revealed what coauthor Richard Gibbs from Baylor College of Medicine called "a lot of interesting local stories." "But maybe the message is not so much about surprise findings as the wealth of data," Gibbs told The Scientist. "It's mind-blowing the amount of biochemical data that has been generated."The X chromosome has revealed itself to be quite different to autosomes, Lo
%U http://genomebiology.com/2005/6/3/spotlight-20050317-01