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Corn Genome Sequenced

Posted by kdawson on from the what-fuels-these-morsels-be dept.

dooling writes "Later this week, the completion of the maize genome draft sequence will be announced. Maize has a large genome (slightly smaller than human) that is highly repetitive (about 80%). These facts made a whole-genome shotgun approach to sequencing infeasible. Therefore, a BAC-by-BAC approach was taken, similar to what was done for the Human Genome Project. Further work on the maize genome will focus on the parts of the genome that have genes, thereby avoiding the highly-repetitive regions of the genome (even though the maize genome is slightly smaller than human, it is thought to have about twice as many genes). You can read my take here."

7 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Plants Humans by imstanny · · Score: 4, Informative

    Maize has a large genome (slightly smaller than human) that is highly repetitive (about 80%) Humans have about 22,000 genes. Plants tend to have in teh range of 40,000 genes - on average. THis is suprising initially, but human genes are more complex. Single genes can make at least 2 proteins, sometimes much more. Plants, on the other hand, have to produce a lot of chemicals for defence, since they can't run away from predators - which is the primary reason for increased gene count. Maze, it seems, is one the lower end for plant life in terms of gene count.
  2. Re:So? by moderatorrater · · Score: 3, Informative

    Go sequence a mouse. What's the point of sequencing something that we kill? Corn's one of the more useful crops in the world, so sequencing it makes sense. If we understand the genome, we can make new varieties better.

    Also, corn is where we first noticed jumping genes.
  3. I just hope... by Corpuscavernosa · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... that this will enable scientists to make a corn strain that will eliminate the "phantom" corn that mysteriously shows up in my poop when I have no recollection of eating any.

    --
    We figured out a long time ago that it's easier to elect seven judges than to elect 132 legislators.
  4. Re:So? by dooling · · Score: 4, Informative

    We've sequenced the genome of something we eat. This helps us why? Go sequence a mouse. We have already sequenced the mouse.
    --
    dd
    "if you hang the blame on the wall
    there'd be a frame around us all" - Jay Farrar
  5. It had to be said... by halivar · · Score: 3, Funny

    You are in a maize of twisty genomes, all alike.

    Fa fa fa fa!

  6. Re:Children of the Corn by azuredrake · · Score: 3, Funny

    Stop being so corny, guys.

    --
    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
  7. Re:I for one... by Idiomatick · · Score: 3, Funny

    George bush?