New Genomics Method Likely to Accelerate Completion of the Human Genome
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In an article published in the May edition of Nature Biotechnology, a highly-regarded group of research scientists, including two from Genzyme Molecular Oncology (Nasdaq: GZMO - news), report on a powerful gene expression method that moves scientists closer to conclusive identification of all the genes in the human genome.
This new method, an extension of the patented serial analysis of gene expression, or SAGE(TM) technique, is viewed as a significant advance that will allow completion of the human genome.
Clarence J. Wang, Ph.D., and Viatcheslav Akmaev, Ph.D., of Genzyme Molecular Oncology, collaborated with researchers at The Johns Hopkins and Howard Hughes Medical Institutions on the study. Their published article, "Using the Transcriptome to Annotate the Genome," describes the use of data from a high-throughput gene expression method to provide evidence of previously unconfirmed genes and to discover new genes.
This method, called Long SAGE(TM), is an expansion of the original SAGE approach. SAGE is a high-efficiency method of comprehensively identifying and quantifying genes being expressed in a particular tissue or cell at a given time. A large group of academic and commercial researchers are using SAGE to validate data outlined in the sequencing of the genome, and to better understand the set of instructions carried by genes to create proteins that regulate most biological activities in the body.
"Long SAGE has the potential to bring completion to the human genome project," stated Gail Maderis, president of Genzyme Molecular Oncology. "In addition to its value as a pure gene identification tool, the quantitative nature of Long SAGE allows for the identification of targets to be used for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. The opportunity around Long SAGE is tremendous and we are very excited about its future use."
The Long SAGE method utilizes a 21-base pair 'tag' from each expressed transcript. These tags provide a unique identifier for each transcript, similar to a bar code. The same 21-base pair sequence is usually found to occur uniquely in the genome, so by matching these tags to human genome data, it is possible to identify the location of genes.
Methods previously used to identify genes from genomic data relied on computer based predictions. The article in Nature Biotechnology describes how Long SAGE provided the first experimental confirmation of these genes. Long SAGE is also superior to previous methods because it is based on a sampling of biological material and is able to recognize genes that may be missed by the existing computer algorithms. As a result, a number of previously unrecognized genes were identified and confirmed. Long SAGE also provides data on which of these genes are important in physiological or disease pathways.
To date, public and private gene sequencing efforts have identified some 15,000 sequences that meet strict criteria for genes but have not been confirmed as such, and have made another 10,000 to 20,000 gene predictions of lower confidence.
SAGE was developed at The Johns Hopkins University and its commercial rights are licensed exclusively to Genzyme Molecular Oncology. SAGE is an integral part of Genzyme Molecular Oncology's drug discovery efforts, with particular emphasis on the identification of novel cancer tumor antigens and inhibitors of angiogenesis. Genzyme Molecular Oncology provides SAGE for commercial use through license and service agreements... |
