BLAST FOR GENOMICS BLAST FOR GENOMICS Jianxin Ma Department of Agronomy Purdue University

Soybean Genome Sequencing Project DOE-JGI Community Sequencing Program Brassica Genome Sequencing Project BGI-Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

 Transposable elements (TEs), popularly called “jumping genes” are sequences of DNA that can move around to different chromosomal positions in a cell.  First TEs were discovered in maize in 1948 by Barbara McClintock Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1983 Why transposable elements? ( )  TEs make up a large fraction of genome sizes in most higher organisms:  TEs were often referred to be “molecular junk”, but are now recognized as important, even crucial parts of the blueprints of plants and animals: ~50% ~35%

Schmutz et al., 2010, Nature The Landscape of the Soybean Genome

157 families 353 families 42% 16% 58% Du et al., 2010, BMC Genomics

Structure-based analysis and Homology-based analysis Structure-based analysis and Homology-based analysis (BLAST)