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Science 24 April 2009:
Vol. 324. no. 5926, pp. 522 - 528
DOI: 10.1126/science.1169588
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Reports

The Genome Sequence of Taurine Cattle: A Window to Ruminant Biology and Evolution

The Bovine Genome Sequencing and Analysis Consortium,* Christine G. Elsik,1 Ross L. Tellam,2 Kim C. Worley3

To understand the biology and evolution of ruminants, the cattle genome was sequenced to about sevenfold coverage. The cattle genome contains a minimum of 22,000 genes, with a core set of 14,345 orthologs shared among seven mammalian species of which 1217 are absent or undetected in noneutherian (marsupial or monotreme) genomes. Cattle-specific evolutionary breakpoint regions in chromosomes have a higher density of segmental duplications, enrichment of repetitive elements, and species-specific variations in genes associated with lactation and immune responsiveness. Genes involved in metabolism are generally highly conserved, although five metabolic genes are deleted or extensively diverged from their human orthologs. The cattle genome sequence thus provides a resource for understanding mammalian evolution and accelerating livestock genetic improvement for milk and meat production.

* All authors with their affiliations and contributions are listed at the end of this paper.

1 Department of Biology, 406 Reiss, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA. E-mail: ce75{at}georgetown.edu

2 CSIRO Livestock Industries, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia. E-mail: ross.tellam{at}csiro.au

3 Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, MS BCM226, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. E-mail: kworley{at}bcm.edu

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