Expressed sequence tags as a tool for phylogenetic analysis of placental mammal evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We investigate the usefulness of expressed sequence tags, ESTs, for establishing divergences within the tree of placental mammals. This is done on the example of the established relationships among primates (human), lagomorphs (rabbit), rodents (rat and mouse), artiodactyls (cow), carnivorans (dog) and proboscideans (elephant).

Methodology/principal findings

We have produced 2000 ESTs (1.2 mega bases) from a marsupial mouse and characterized the data for their use in phylogenetic analysis. The sequences were used to identify putative orthologous sequences from whole genome projects. Although most ESTs stem from single sequence reads, the frequency of potential sequencing errors was found to be lower than allelic variation. Most of the sequences represented slowly

SUBMITTER: Kullberg M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1942079 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature