Open AccessGenome Sequencing and Comparative Genomics of Tropical Disease Pathogens
Author(s) -
Carlton Jane M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1046/j.1462-5822.2003.00331.x
Subject(s) - biology , genome , genomics , dna sequencing , computational biology , identification (biology) , comparative genomics , tropical disease , gene , whole genome sequencing , genetics , disease , ecology , medicine , pathology
Summary The sequencing of eukaryotic genomes has lagged behind sequencing of organisms in the other domains of life, archae and bacteria, primarily due to their greater size and complexity. With recent advances in high‐throughput technologies such as robotics and improved computational resources, the number of eukaryotic genome sequencing projects has in‐creased significantly. Among these are a number of sequencing projects of tropical pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, many of which are responsible for causing widespread morbidity and mortality in peoples of developing countries. Uncovering the complete gene complement of these organisms is proving to be of immense value in the develop‐ment of novel methods of parasite control, such as antiparasitic drugs and vaccines, as well as the development of new diagnostic tools. Combining pathogen genome sequences with the host and vector genome sequences is promising to be a robust method for the identification of host–pathogen interactions. Finally, comparative sequencing of related species, especially of organisms used as model systems in the study of the disease, is beginning to realize its potential in the identification of genes, and the evolutionary forces that shape the genes, that are involved in evasion of the host immune response.