National Sequencing Center
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National Sequencing Center |
Press release
The genome-sequencing of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae (the principal
vector for malaria), based on preliminary work by Genoscope
(the French National Sequencing Center) and the Institut Pasteur, has just been
completed by an international consortium*. The consortium, set up on 3 March
2001 at the Pasteur Institute, is to publish the genome sequence of the mosquito
in the journal Science on 4 October. The French
Minister responsible for research and new technologies has expressed his
delight at this landmark achievement and congratulates the French teams involved.
Malaria (more than one million deaths and some 300 million clinical cases) is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted to man by the female Anopheles mosquito. At present the parasite's resistance to drugs is increasing, along with the mosquito's resistance to insecticides. The prospects for the struggle are clouded by the difficulty of developing new drugs and a vaccine. In this context, control of the transmission of the parasite by the mosquito is emerging as one of the most promising weapons in the fight against the disease. This involves understanding the mosquito's biology.
Barely three years ago, the data banks held fewer than 10 complete Anopheles genes. With the gene-sequence published today, researchers estimate that 14,000 genes are now available, among them some implicated in transmission of the parasite, in insecticide-resistance, in the mosquito's sense of smell, and in its immunity, etc. The study of these genes should eventually lead to the development of resources to control the spread of malaria, and especially to a more rational use of insecticides and the production of new mosquito-repellents.
Genoscope carried out part of the sequencing with the aid of one million Euros of financing from the Minister responsible for research, as a supplement to its annual grant of 1.5 million Euros. The greater part of the work of the sequencing fell to the American enterprise Celera Genomics, which received 9 million dollars from NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases). The Pasteur Institute and Genoscope are to pursue their collaboration with a view to improving the quality and interpretation of the sequencing data freely accessible since March 2002. To make the most of the data, the Pasteur Institute is itself launching an Anopheles Research Program, with the participation of 11 teams from the Paris campus and two institutions from the International Instituts Pasteur Network and associated institutions (Dakar and Madagascar).
With the human genome sequence nearly complete, there will be an abundance of genomic information on the three actors in the disease: Human, Plasmodium, and Anopheles. A unique position for a parasite disease, one which must now be exploited.
Source:
"The genome sequence of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae", Science, 4 October 2002
Ministry of Research:
Muriel Elghouzzi - Tel: +33 (0)1 55 55 83 28 / muriel.elghouzzi@recherche.gouv.fr
Institut Pasteur :
Press office - Tel: +33 (0)1 45 68 81 47/ presse@pasteur.fr
Genoscope:
Press contact: Yann Esnault - Tel: +33 (0)1 60 87 84 50 / yesnault@genoscope.cns.fr
Scientific contact: Patrick
Wincker - Tel: +33 (0)1 60 87 25 68 / pwincker@genoscope.cns.fr
(away from 2 October)
