BAC Libraries for the Reptilia, Including Birds: Genomic Resources for Comparative Biology

细菌人工染色体文库是大的(100,000-200,000个DNA碱基对)DNA片段的集合，通过插入专门的载体，这些DNA片段是可检索和可操作的。作为方便获得大量DNA序列用于比较、了解真核基因组结构、表达和操纵基因及其在胚胎发育中的表型效应的资源，BAC文库是无与伦比的。然而，构建BAC图书馆超出了大多数非专门为此目的量身定做的实验室的能力。该项目将包括建立五种爬行动物的BAC图书馆，并将其存档并向国际科学家传播，其中包括一种鸟。这五个重点物种将是彩龟(锦龟)、斑纹龟(斑点金龟)、南美洲蠕龙(两栖动物)、美洲扬子鳄(密西西比扬子鳄)和不会飞的Emu(Dromaius Novaehollandiae)。如果没有合适的Tuatara样本(考虑到它在新西兰的濒危状态和有限的活动范围，这是一种明显的可能性)，将建立一个蛇的BAC文库。爬行动物由鸟类和通常被称为爬行动物的物种组成，从遗传、发育、基因组和系统发育的角度对爬行动物的研究很少；尽管爬行动物比它们的姊妹类哺乳动物更多样化，但哺乳动物作为模式生物物种的研究要好得多。这些物种的BAC文库的构建和排列将为爬行动物基因组学研究开辟许多以前无法接近的新途径。这些BAC文库将有许多科学用途，包括促进用于系统发育和比较基因组目的的比较DNA数据的获取，以及更好地了解导致爬行动物许多特征的基因的功能，如羽毛、依赖温度的性别决定、肢体减少和丢失，以及与哺乳动物相比的大规模基因组减少。因此，这些文库将填补我们对脊椎动物基因组学理解的一个主要空白，脊椎动物基因组学是一个快速发展的学科，最近对人类、老鼠和河豚基因组进行了全序列测定。

0207870EdwardsBacterial artificial chromosome libraries are collections of large (100, 000 - 200,000 DNA base pair) DNA fragments that are made retrievable and manipulatable by insertion into a specialized vector. As resources for easily obtaining large amounts of DNA sequences for comparative purposes, for understanding the structure of eukaryotic genomes, and for expressing and manipulating genes and their phenotypic effects in developing embryos, BAC libraries are unsurpassed. However, constructing BAC libraries is beyond the abilities of most laboratories not specifically tailored for this purpose. This project will consist of constructing, archiving and disseminating to the international community of scientists BAC libraries from five species of Reptilia, including a bird. The five focal species will be Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), South American Worm Lizard (an amphisbaenian; Amphisbaea alba), American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), and the flightless Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae). In the event that an appropriate Tuatara sample is not available (a distinct possibility given its endangered status and restricted range in New Zealand), a BAC library from a snake will be constructed. Reptilia, consisting of birds as well as species commonly referred to as reptiles, are poorly studied from genetic, developmental, genomic and phylogenetic perspectives; although Reptilia are much more diverse than their sister group, the mammals, mammals are much better studied as model biological species. The construction and arraying of BAC libraries from these species will open up many new avenues of research into reptile genomics that were previously unapproachable. There will be many scientific uses for these BAC libraries, including facilitating acquisition of comparative DNA data for phylogenetic and comparative genomic purposes, and a better understanding of the function of genes responsible for many features first appearing in the reptiles, such as feathers, temperature-dependent sex determination, limb reduction and loss, and large-scale genome reduction compared to mammals. Thus these libraries will fill a major gap in our understanding of vertebrate genomics, a rapidly progressing discipline spurred on by the recent sequencing of the complete human, mouse and pufferfish genomes.