Monday January 10, 6:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Celera Compiles DNA Sequence
Covering 90% of the Human Genome
ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 10, 2000--Celera Genomics (NYSE:CRA - news), a
PE Corporation business, announced today that the company has DNA sequence in the Celera
database that covers 90 percent of the human genome.
As a result of the extensive sequence coverage of the 23 pairs of human chromosomes and based on
statistical analysis, Celera believes that greater than 97 percent of all human genes are now
represented in the Celera database.
Celera's DNA sequence is from more than 10 million high quality sequences, generated at Celera in
the world's largest DNA data factory. The sequence, developed from randomly selected fragments
of all human chromosomes, contains over 5.3 billion base pairs (letters of the human genetic code) at
greater than 99 percent accuracy.
The 5.3 billion base pairs represent 2.58 billion base pairs of unique sequence that have been
calculated to cover 81 percent of an estimated genome size of 3.18 billion base pairs. These data,
combined with all of the ``finished' and ``draft' human genome sequence data from the public
databases, give Celera coverage of 90 percent of the human genome. Celera's sequencing was
performed on 300 PE Biosystems ABI Prism© 3700 DNA Analyzers.
``The whole genome shotgun technique focuses on sequencing the entire genome at once, allowing
for real-time discovery of human genes across the entire genome,' said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D.,
Celera's president and chief scientific officer. ``The early phase of sequencing the human genome
using the whole genome shotgun process is especially important for gene discovery. We are rapidly
coming to an end of that phase. Our statistical analysis and comparison to known genes suggest that
greater than 97 percent of all human genes are represented in our database.'
Whole Genome Sequencing
Celera began to sequence the human genome on Sept. 8, 1999, using the whole genome shotgun
technique that its scientists pioneered in sequencing the first complete genome in 1995 at The
Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR). This technique involves randomly shearing the human
chromosomes into millions of pieces of 2,000 and 10,000 base pairs in length. The chromosome
fragments are inserted into a plasmid vector and propagated in E. coli to produce millions of copies
of each fragment.
Celera scientists then sequence both ends of each fragment. The millions of sequences representing
billions of letters of genetic code are then assembled into the proper order using proprietary genome
assembly algorithms and the Celera supercomputer facility, resulting in the reconstruction of the linear
sequence of the 23 pairs of human chromosomes.
The human genome sequencing effort funded by governments and some public charities around the
world is based on sequencing large clones of human DNA in bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC)
using a variation of the shotgun sequencing method. With that approach, approximately 25,000 BAC
clones have to be sequenced and their order mapped to reassemble the 23 human chromosomes.
There are on average 150,000 letters of human DNA in a BAC.
Its ``draft' sequence represents most of these base pairs; however the fragments of DNA sequence
are largely unordered. By combining the Celera whole genome data with the individual clone ``draft'
BAC data, Celera plans to order the sequence within each BAC clone and then place the clones in
the proper order to construct the genome's sequence. Celera expects to simultaneously and
independently assemble the genome with its whole genome assembly algorithms. The combination of
these two complementary genome sequencing and assembly approaches greatly reduces the time for
Celera to finish the sequence of the human genome.
For the next several months Celera plans to continue its full-scale effort on human genome
sequencing, with the anticipated addition of approximately two billion base pairs per month. The
additional sequences should provide redundant coverage of the chromosome sequences, improve
accuracy and aid in the final assembly of the chromosome sequences.
When sequencing and scientific analysis of the human genome is completed, the consensus sequence
data will be submitted for publication in a scientific journal. These published data will be made freely
available to researchers around the world under a non-redistribution agreement.
Celera Discovers Key Regulatory Genes
Celera's gene discovery team has identified several thousand new genes that potentially play key
roles in cellular communication and the regulation of physiological systems in the human body,
including blood pressure, cell growth, and neurotransmission. These are primarily rarely expressed
genes and are not represented in the public database, GenBank. These are genes of significant
interest to the pharmaceutical industry, since they can be used as the basis of new therapeutic
development.
Celera has previously reported filing provisional patent applications on newly discovered genes and
continues to file these applications on medically relevant gene discoveries. The company intends to
file full applications on those medically important discoveries, and has implemented a non-exclusive
licensing program to make the intellectual property available to Celera database subscribers.
Celera Milestones
Human Genome:
Celera is now on target to complete the sequencing phase of the human genome by summer 2000,
incorporating data from GenBank. After sequencing, Celera then plans to begin shotgun sequencing
of the mouse genome.
Drosophila melanogaster Genome:
On Dec. 30, 1999 Celera completed the release of a partially assembled Drosophila genome
sequence to the public data bank. Celera continues to do scientific analysis in conjunction with the
Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP) and other collaborators, and intends to submit a
manuscript to a scientific journal for publication in spring 2000. Celera and its collaborators have
discovered a total of 14,000 genes in the genome, many in commercially important protein families,
which should prove valuable in developing new therapeutics and insecticides.
NOTE: Celera's news briefing will be held on Monday, Jan. 10 at 11 a.m. EST. It can be accessed
via listen-only webcast at: http//webevents.broadcast.com/medialink/celera0100/
Celera's mission is to become the definitive source of genomic and related agricultural and medical
information. Celera's information will be available on a subscription basis to academic and
commercial institutions who will have access to tools for viewing, browsing, analyzing, and integrating
data in a way that will assist scientists in accelerating their understanding of the human genetic code.
PE Corporation currently comprises two operating groups. Celera Genomics Group, headquartered
in Rockville, intends to become the definitive source of genomic and related medical information. PE
Biosystems Group, headquartered in Foster City, Calif. and with sales of $1.2 billion during fiscal
1999, develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software, and contract related
services to the life science industry and research community.
Information about the company, including consolidated financial statements of PE Corporation, is
available on the World Wide Web at pecorporation.com or by phoning 800/762-6923.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of
forward-looking words or phrases such as ``believe,' ``expect,' ``anticipate,' ``should,' ``planned,'
``estimated,' and ``potential,' among others. These forward-looking statements are based on PE
Corporation's current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a
``safe harbor' for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe
harbor, PE Corporation notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to
differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking
statements. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, development,
and results of Celera Genomics' businesses include but are not limited to (1) early stage of
operations and uncertainty of operating results; (2) no precedent for Celera Genomics' business plan;
(3) uncertainty of value of polymorphism data; (4) initial reliance on pharmaceutical industry; (5) high
dependence on key employees; (6) uncertain protection of intellectual property and proprietary
rights; (7) highly competitive business; (8) need to manage rapid growth; and (9) other factors that
might be described from time to time in PE Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. |
