LaGomiCs-Lagomorph Genomics Consortium: An International Collaborative Effort for Sequencing the Genomes of an Entire Mammalian Order

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

Fontanesi, L (Author) Other; Di Palma, F (Author) Other; Flicek, P (Author) Other; Smith, AT (Author) Other; Thulin, CG (Author) Other; Alves, PC (Author) FCUP; Melo Ferreira, J (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Heredity

Vol. 107

Pages: 295-308

ISSN: 0022-1503

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

Scopus - 17 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-HRZ

DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esw010

Abstract (EN): The order Lagomorpha comprises about 90 living species, divided in 2 families: the pikas (Family Ochotonidae), and the rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits (Family Leporidae). Lagomorphs are important economically and scientifically as major human food resources, valued game species, pests of agricultural significance, model laboratory animals, and key elements in food webs. A quarter of the lagomorph species are listed as threatened. They are native to all continents except Antarctica, and occur up to 5000 m above sea level, from the equator to the Arctic, spanning a wide range of environmental conditions. The order has notable taxonomic problems presenting significant difficulties for defining a species due to broad phenotypic variation, overlap of morphological characteristics, and relatively recent speciation events. At present, only the genomes of 2 species, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and American pika (Ochotona princeps) have been sequenced and assembled. Starting from a paucity of genome information, the main scientific aim of the Lagomorph Genomics Consortium (LaGomiCs), born from a cooperative initiative of the European COST Action "A Collaborative European Network on Rabbit Genome Biology-RGB-Net" and the World Lagomorph Society (WLS), is to provide an international framework for the sequencing of the genome of all extant and selected extinct lagomorphs. Sequencing the genomes of an entire order will provide a large amount of information to address biological problems not only related to lagomorphs but also to all mammals. We present current and planned sequencing programs and outline the final objective of LaGomiCs possible through broad international collaboration.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14