一个国际科研团队7日发布报告称，他们已经对家养火鸡的基因组90%以上的区域完成测序。

研究人员表示，短期内，测序结果就可以提供对火鸡产量、质量、发育、生殖以及抗病至关重要的基因的信息，科学家可以据此培育出肥瘦、口感不同的火鸡品种，提高火鸡疾病预防和治疗手段。

这项测序的大部分数据来自火鸡的10个最大的染色体。研究人员表示，通过这项始于2008年的项目，他们已经发现了数千个此前不为鸟类科学家所知的基因，此前研究甚少的火鸡性染色体的测序结果也令人感兴趣。

来自澳大利亚、英国、德国、荷兰、韩国、西班牙以及美国的研究人员参与了火鸡基因组测序工作。相关研究成果下周将发表在美国《公共科学图书馆·生物学》杂志网络版上。

英文摘要：

PLoS Biology 8(9): e1000475. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000475

Multi-Platform Next-Generation Sequencing of the Domestic Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo): Genome Assembly and Analysis

A synergistic combination of two next-generation sequencing platforms with a detailed comparative BAC physical contig map provided a cost-effective assembly of the genome sequence of the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Heterozygosity of the sequenced source genome allowed discovery of more than 600,000 high quality single nucleotide variants. Despite this heterozygosity, the current genome assembly (~1.1 Gb) includes 917 Mb of sequence assigned to specific turkey chromosomes. Annotation identified nearly 16,000 genes, with 15,093 recognized as protein coding and 611 as non-coding RNA genes. Comparative analysis of the turkey, chicken, and zebra finch genomes, and comparing avian to mammalian species, supports the characteristic stability of avian genomes and identifies genes unique to the avian lineage. Clear differences are seen in number and variety of genes of the avian immune system where expansions and novel genes are less frequent than examples of gene loss. The turkey genome sequence provides resources to further understand the evolution of vertebrate genomes and genetic variation underlying economically important quantitative traits in poultry. This integrated approach may be a model for providing both gene and chromosome level assemblies of other species with agricultural, ecological, and evolutionary interest.

Rami A. Dalloul1#, Julie A. Long2#, Aleksey V. Zimin3#, Luqman Aslam4, Kathryn Beal5, Le Ann Blomberg2, Pascal Bouffard6, David W. Burt7, Oswald Crasta8,9, Richard P. M. A. Crooijmans4, Kristal Cooper8, Roger A. Coulombe10, Supriyo De11, Mary E. Delany12, Jerry B. Dodgson13, Jennifer J. Dong14, Clive Evans8, Karin M. Frederickson6, Paul Flicek5, Liliana Florea15, Otto Folkerts8,9, Martien A. M. Groenen4, Tim T. Harkins6, Javier Herrero5, Steve Hoffmann16,17, Hendrik-Jan Megens4, Andrew Jiang12, Pieter de Jong18, Pete Kaiser19, Heebal Kim20, Kyu-Won Kim20, Sungwon Kim1, David Langenberger16, Mi-Kyung Lee14, Taeheon Lee20, Shrinivasrao Mane8, Guillaume Marcais3, Manja Marz16,21, Audrey P. McElroy1, Thero Modise8, Mikhail Nefedov18, Cédric Notredame22, Ian R. Paton7, William S. Payne13, Geo Pertea15, Dennis Prickett19, Daniela Puiu15, Dan Qioa23, Emanuele Raineri22, Magali Ruffier24, Steven L. Salzberg25, Michael C. Schatz25, Chantel Scheuring14, Carl J. Schmidt26, Steven Schroeder27, Stephen M. J. Searle24, Edward J. Smith1, Jacqueline Smith7, Tad S. Sonstegard27, Peter F. Stadler16,28,29,30,31, Hakim Tafer16,30, Zhijian (Jake) Tu32, Curtis P. Van Tassell27,33, Albert J. Vilella5, Kelly P. Williams8, James A. Yorke3, Liqing Zhang23, Hong-Bin Zhang14, Xiaojun Zhang14, Yang Zhang14, Kent M. Reed34*