International consortium decodes mouse genome

Brussels, 07 May 2002

An international consortium of scientists has published the draft genetic make-up of the mouse. The breakthrough will provide vital information to researchers investigating the human genome.

Mammals share many basic biological functions, including immune response, the regulation of cell division and the development of major organ systems. Mice and humans share around 85 per cent of the gene sequences that encode the proteins to carry out these functions. Humans and mice also share around 50 per cent of DNA sequences.

By comparing human and mouse genome sequences to find areas of similarity, the identification of protein-coding regions and regulatory sequences is possible. The mouse genome sequence will therefore provide a powerful tool for interpreting the newly-available human genome sequence.

Scientists will also be able to use the mouse as a model system for the study of human disease and the development and testing of new treatments.

The decision to form the public-private international mouse genome sequencing consortium in order to accelerate the sequencing of the mouse genome was announced in October 2000. Several US institutes of health, the UK Wellcome Trust, an independent research funding charity, and three private companies - SmithKlineBeecham, the Merck genome research institute and Affymetrix - funded the research, which was conducted at the UK's Sanger centre and two US laboratories.

A private US company has already read the mouse genome, but scientists have to pay to view to results. The international consortium's work will, however, be freely available on the Internet

For further information on the project, please consult the following web address: http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Projects/M_musc ulus

CORDIS RTD-NEWS/© European Communities, 2001