Virtual Sheep Genome
The approach to creating a physical BAC map, is to utilize partially or fully sequenced mammalian genomes (dog, cattle human) as a reference framework on which to define and build BAC comparative genome contigs or BAC-cgc for short via bioinformatics. This work is being coordinated by Brian Dalrymple of CSIRO and Ewen Kirkness at TIGR. The following diagrams show schematics of the process, showing both direct and indirect, mapping to the human genome. The virtual blocks are reorganized into sheep chromosomes based on known sheep linkage mapping locations of comparative markers.
Over 48% of BACs could be positioned by this technique, and the covered approximately 90% of the human genome.
The primary purpose of this work is to:
- Allow tiling paths to be selected for genome sequencing
- Position and orientate BAC end sequence allowing evenly spaced selection for resequencing for SNP discovery
- Allow individual researchers to identify BAC(s) containing their gene of interest
Version 1.2 of the Virtual Sheep Genome is publicly available at www.livestockgenomics.csiro.au/sheep/vsheep.php and has been published by Dalrymple et al. (2007) Genome Biology.
