The genome of another sequenced primate

2007/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia
• Eboluzioa
• Genetika
• Zoologia

They have achieved the DNA sequence of the Rhesus macaque. This species is abundant in Asia and widely used in medicine for testing new medicines. According to researchers, they will now be able to predict whether the drugs being tested on macaques will have another effect on humans. In fact, they have realized that many of the differences between macaque genes and humans correspond to the immune system. But they also think that the genome of macaque will provide information to better understand evolution and what human beings do.

And he is already reporting. The finding of a group of genes involved in the digestion of sugar and its presence in macaques is greater than in man. At the moment they have explained that this is a genetic adaptation that led them to take a diet rich in fruits.

In 2005 they sequenced the chimpanzee genome and found that both they and humans have 98% of DNA. It is believed that the evolutionary lines of macaques and man separated 25 million years ago, so macaques are more distant relatives for humans than chimpanzees. However, comparing the genomes of these three primates is expected to learn many things.