Sequencing Of Yeast Genome Completed

On April 24, the first complete eukaryotic genome sequence was unveiled and brought into the public domain. The complete Brewer's yeast genome will be invaluable in working out the role of gene sequences in the human genome, and will shed light on how human diseases come about at the molecular level.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome is the first to be sequenced from a higher organism. It comprises 12.06 million bases, representing some 6,000 potential genes, distributed among 16 chromosomes. It is about 250 times smaller than the human genome, but some experts have estimated that more than 50% of the yeast genes will turn out to have similar functions to human sequences.

Having the entire DNA sequence now paves the way for the study of the information encoded in the genetic blueprint; some of the sequences which have already been published have proved a valuable resource for determining the function of individual human genes involved in medical problems, such as cancer, neurological disorders and skeletal disorders. Over the next few years, researchers around the world will piece together, for the first time, a comprehensive look at how all the genes in a eukaryotic cell function as an integrated system.