Genetics: Man and Mouse are Close but Different too

Mouse models have been used largely in studying genetic mechanisms involved in responses to diseases. New research that compared the genome of mouse and man says there are differences in the detail.REUTERS

What holds t for true the mouse does not always hold true for humans, though mouse models have served well in understanding genetic mechanisms in dealing with diseases.

In a systematical evaluation and assessment, various research papers are suggesting that while gene regulation machinery and networks are similar in mouse and man, the details differ quite a bit.

By understanding the differences, scientists will be better placed in knowing when the mouse model can be used in studies.

There are a substantial number of mouse genes that are regulated in ways different from similar genes in humans. The differences are not random, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Ludwig Cancer Research.

Only half of human genomic DNA aligns to mouse genomic DNA. In comparison chimpanzees' match 96%.

Mice and humans share approximately 70% of the same protein-coding gene sequences which are important as they send out instructions to build organisms, but this comprises just 1.5% of these genomes.

The results from the mouse ENCODE project, which is part of the ENCODE, or ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements, showed some DNA sequence differences linked to diseases in humans have counterparts in the mouse genome.

The differences and similarities

They also showed that certain genes and elements are similar in both species, providing a basis to use the mouse to study relevant human disease.

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Genetics: Man and Mouse are Close but Different too