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Title: The power of EST sequence data: Relation to Acyrthosiphon pisum genome annotation and functional genomics initiatives

Author
item HUNNICUTT, LAURA - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item Hunter, Wayne

Submitted to: International Aphid Genomics Consortium: Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2008
Publication Date: 4/14/2008
Citation: Hunnicutt, L.E., Hunter, W.B. 2008. The power of EST sequence data: Relation to Acyrthosiphon pisum genome annotation and functional genomics initiatives. International Aphid Genomics Consortium: Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop.July 14-15, 2008, Princeton, New Jersey.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Genes important to aphid biology, survival and reproduction were successfully identified by use of a genomics approach. We created and described the Sequencing, compilation, and annotation of the approxiamtely 525Mb nuclear genome of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, which represents an important but formidable task. As part of this effort we sequenced over 6,500 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from a whole-body adult aphid cDNA library. Tagged with the USDA-FP prefix, these sequences have been submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI, using computer comparison BLAST analyses into GenBank, dbEST where they are freely accessible to the scientific community. These data, along with the 103,000 ESTs proposed in the White Paper, represent an excellent resource for annotation of the pea aphid genome and which have application for the development of directed management strategies, and future functional genomics studies. When overlaid upon genomic sequences, ESTs offer crude expression profiles in addition to providing valuable information regarding gene boundaries, alternative splicing events, polymorphisms, and gene function. Use of a functional genomics approach has provided new insights into aphid biology. Identification and characterization of these genes and proteins has already provided the development of new molecular markers, and other tools such as microarrays to conduct gene expression studies for the development of highly specific, biological based, management strategies against aphid pests aimed at reducing the spread of plant diseases transmitted by aphids.