Ciona savignyi Genetic Map

描述（由申请人提供）：该资助是根据新兴模式生物遗传和基因组研究项目公告工具提交的。我建议在海鞘（Ciona savignyi）中构建一个300个标记的连锁图谱，该图谱将与注释后的高质量基因组参考序列完全集成。该图谱不仅有助于突变的克隆，还有助于实现C. savignyi参考序列的长范围连续，这将需要有效地进行全基因组扫描，以寻找诱导或自然发生的突变。除了全基因组图谱外，还将在序列组装不确定的区域进行高分辨率精细制图，以解决萨维尼基因组参考序列中的歧义。该图谱以及分布在基因组中的数千个潜在多态性标记的数据库将向社区开放。海鞘是最简单的脊索动物之一，但它们的基本发育机制在结构和分子上与脊椎动物一样保守。尽管高度保守，但海鞘基因组的大小与果蝇相当（约180 Mb），因此在实验中表现出有利的基因组简单性。此外，海鞘具有许多有吸引力的胚胎学和实验特征，有助于研究发育过程中的基因调控。在过去的几年里，萨维格伊已经发展成为一种遗传模式生物，突变体很容易从野生种群或通过诱变获得。遗传图谱、标记和基因组组装的远程连续性是缺失的，至关重要的资源，以建立C. savignyi作为一个成熟的遗传和基因组模式生物。在脊索动物胚胎发育的机制方面，它和它的姐妹种——肠虫提供了独特的信息。胚胎发育和基因调控的基本和特定特征在人类和这些脊索动物之间是保守的。以Ciona为模型深入了解调控和发展的分子机制是非常有效的，并且与人类的同源过程相关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This grant is submitted in response to the Program Announcement Tools for Genetic and Genomic Studies in Emerging Model Organisms. I propose to construct a 300-marker linkage map in the ascidian, Ciona savignyi, that is fully integrated with what will become the annotated high quality genome reference sequence. This map will not only aid in the cloning of mutations, but also in achieving the long range contiguity in the C. savignyi reference sequence that will be needed to efficiently perform whole genome scans for induced or naturally occurring mutations. In addition to the genome-wide map, high-resolution fine- scale mapping in regions of uncertain sequence assembly will be performed to resolve ambiguities in the C. savignyi genome reference sequence. The map, along with a database of thousands of potentially polymorphic markers distributed across the genome, will be made available to the community. Ascidians are among the simplest chordates, yet their fundamental developmental mechanisms are structurally and molecularly conserved with those of vertebrates. Despite the high level of conservation, ascidian genomes are comparable in size to Drosophila's (about 180 Mb), thus exhibiting experimentally advantageous genomic simplicity. Further, ascidians have many attractive embryological and experimental features that facilitate studies of gene regulation during development. Over the past few years, C. savignyi has been developed as a genetic model organism, with mutants readily obtainable from wild populations or by mutagenesis. The genetic map, the markers, and the long-range contiguity of the genome assembly are the missing, critically important, resources to establish C. savignyi as a full-fledged genetic and genomic model organism. Ciona savignyi and its sister species, Ciona intestinalis, are uniquely informative with regards to the mechanisms of chordate embryonic development. Fundamental as well as specific features of embryonic development and gene regulation are conserved between humans and these chordates. Insights into the molecular mechanisms of regulation and development using Ciona as a model are highly effective and relevant to the homologous processes in human.