Question

Explain how comparative genomics can be used to find the genes involved in production of a particular trait (you can use any study species that interest you as a hypothetical example).

Answer 1

The answer to your query is as follows:

Comparative genomics can be used to find the genes involved in production of a particular trait.

Comparative genomics as the name suggests it is a branch in biological sciences and research in which the scientists use a variety of procedures and tools to compare the whole genome sequences of different types of species.

Researchers can easily compare characteristics of the different species that define them and can identify the regions of the similarity and difference among them.

Comparative genomics can identify the DNA sequences that have been "conserved" over millions of years in different species.It can pinpoint those genes that are very important for life by highlighting the genomic signals. These genomic signals control the function of genes in different species. It does so by genome mapping and chromosome painting.The comparisons of every gene map can be done at every level starting from the cytological to the molecular levels.

Apart from it different strategies can be used in comparative genomics to detect genes and to compare the positions of genes in different species.

For example, comparative genomics can help us to identify the type of genes related to different biological systems. These in turn can help in forming innovative approaches for treating human disease.

We can easily compare the mammal and vertebrate genome even over vast evolutionary time scales using the comparative genomics. This shows that the genome is highly conserved.

Thus, information about the identification, location and function of genes can easily be done with the help of comparative genomics.

In comparative genomics, mapping information of a nonhuman species or any other species can be directly transferred to the genome map of humans. Thus, reference can be obtained by conserved chromosome regions.

Homologous genes can be identified by comparing locations that are involved in disease states in various species. The first step to physically isolate it is by pointing out a genetic trait on a linkage map. After its isolation from one species, it can also be obtained from any other species by homologous cloning.

Thus, we can easily identify genes that control genetic diseases and we can clone genes that will help contributing to quantitative traits.

Recent research has shown that comparative genomic analysis of Salmonid species helps in identifying functional genes that are involved in resistance to the intracellular bacterium like Piscirickettsia salmonis that causes salmon rickettsial syndrome (SRS) and causes a huge loss in salmon aquaculture economically.

Hope it helps!