Microbial Genome Sequencing: Shotgun Sequencing of Tetrahymena thermophila

嗜热四膜虫是基础真核实验细胞生物学和分子生物学以及比较基因组学和功能基因组学的优秀模式微生物。四膜虫是一种自由生活的、非致病性的真核生物，被称为肺泡虫。由于四膜虫在动物的分子和细胞水平上表现出显著的功能守恒（比酵母等其他模型系统更明显），并且由于科学家已经开发出强大而新颖的分子遗传工具来研究其生物学，因此四膜虫是研究动物生物学的理想模型系统。四膜虫也是真核生物一般研究和相关病原生物（如疟疾病原体）研究的优秀模型系统。该项目的主要目标是基因组研究所（TIGR）和四膜虫研究界的合作，是对表达的（大核）嗜热t细胞基因组进行全基因组散弹枪测序、组装和注释。该项目有三个目标：(1)对全基因组进行散弹枪测序，并将宏核基因组组装到3.5倍序列覆盖深度（另外3倍覆盖的资金已从NIH获得，因此NSF和NIH支持的综合结果将达到6至7倍覆盖）；(2)对基因组序列进行注释和分析，包括推测基因的鉴定、基因功能的预测以及基因组分析的其他特征标准；(3)通过建立相互关联的基因组数据库，方便用户免费获取嗜热t菌基因组序列和注释。这是一个微生物基因组测序奖，由国家科学基金会和农业部合作资助。

Tetrahymena thermophila is an excellent model microbial organism for fundamental eukaryotic experimental cell and molecular biology and for comparative and functional genomics. Tetrahymena is a free-living, non-pathogenic member of a unique group of eukaryotes known as the Alveolata. Because Tetrahymena exhibits remarkable functional conservation at the molecular and cellular level with animals (more so than other model systems such as yeast) and because scientists have developed robust and novel molecular genetic tools for studying its biology, Tetrahymena is an ideal model system for the investigation of animal biology. Tetrahymena is also an excellent model system for general studies of eukaryotes and for studies of related pathogenic organisms such as the causative agent of malaria. The primary goal of this project, a collaborative effort of The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and the Tetrahymena research community, is the whole-genome shotgun-sequencing, assembly and annotation of the expressed (macronuclear) T. thermophila genome. The project has three aims: (1) To whole-genome shotgun sequence and assemble the macronuclear genome to a depth of 3.5-fold sequence coverage (Funding for an additional 3-fold coverage has been obtained from the NIH, so the combined result of NSF and NIH support will be 6 to 7-fold coverage.); (2) to annotate and analyze the genome sequence, including the identification of putative genes, prediction of gene function, and other features standard for genomic analysis; and (3) to facilitate user-friendly and free access to the T. thermophila genome sequence and annotation by the creation of interlinked genome databases. This is a Microbial Genome Sequencing Award funded through a collaborative activity between the National Science Foundation and the Department of Agriculture.