Deciphered all the chromosomes of the human genome

Researchers of the Institute for Molecular Genetics, Max Planck of Berlin decode the two groups of chromosomes in the human genome for the first time. Discovery could provide valuable information about the treatment of disease.


Mapping of human genes has progressed considerably since the publication of the first map of human genome a decade ago, but Margaret Hoe and her fellow researchers at the Institute for Molecular Genetics, Max Planck scales are broken genome at the molecular level, and so far no one has accomplished.

Until now, the human genome has been treated as one unit, which explains Hoe, a fundamental error.

"The first gene we read the beginning of our decade, and it was actually a product that took us out on the wrong side," she explains in an interview with Deutsche Welle. "Every person has two genomes that contain two genetic code-one that belongs to his mother and others who belong to the Father."

These two genomes were different and only by gaining information on both "haplotypes", ie variations of gene sequences on individual chromosomes, The entire genome can be analyzed.

The team's findings were published in the September issue of the journal Genome Research.

See double

Current techniques to map the genome were not able to read the genome separately. Only by combining different technologies into a new method, Hoe and her colleagues were able to achieve for the first time.

"With this breakthrough, we can see much closer to the gene," said Hoe. "By decoding the two groups of chromosomes from the way human genome separately, we have reached the level of individual molecules for therapy and individual therapy. Now we can determine the exact genetic map of a person, and that we can take away the healing. "

Hoe and colleagues studied the genome of 51-year-old Germans. However, she points out that discovery is linked to the nation.

"Our study covers the genetic profile of Europeans whites, which includes a multitude of nations besides the Germans, such as primers for the French, even the inhabitants of North America with European roots," said Hoe.

Promising progress

Discovery of praise and other researchers. "Genetic mapping of the past few years, evolving quickly, published a large number of genomes, American, Korean, European ...," says Simon Majers, a lecturer in bioinformatics at the University of Oxford, who was a member of the research.

"All previous genetic mapping seized a small part of DNA, but of which parent they come it was not clear. Now we can collect two copies of the DNA into two units, and better take a look at changes in the genes. "