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URL: http://dictybase.org

Proper Citation: Dictyostelium discoideum genome database (RRID:SCR_008149)

Description: This website contains the genome sequence of Dictyostelium discoideum. The determination of the entire information content of the Dictyostelium genome will be of great value to those working with this organism directly, as well as to those who would like to determine the functions of homologous genes from other species. Dictyostelium discoideum, a soil-living amoeba, is an excellent organism for the study of the molecular mechanisms of cell motility, signal transduction, cell-type differentiation and developmental processes. Genes involved in any of these processes can be knocked-out rapidly by targeted homologous recombination. Since Dictyostelium is haploid, mutants are readily isolated and the REMI (restriction enzyme mediated integration) technique of insertional mutagenesis allows the facile cloning of disrupted genes. The Dictyostelium genome is being sequenced with the chromosomal shotgun methodology on a chromosome by chromosome basis. The six Dictyostelium chromosomes with sizes ranging from four to seven Mb are being separated by PFGE (Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis) by Edward Cox, Princeton University. Chromosomal libraries with insert sizes between 1 and 4 kb are being generated by the Sanger Centre using pUC18 as a vector. For shotgun sequencing both forward and reverse reads from each clone randomly selected from the chromosome-enriched libraries are being produced. The read pairs will represent a useful mapping resource to assess contig order. For every Mb of DNA an estimated number of 20,000 - 25,000 single shotgun reads will be necessary. The hereditary information is carried on 6 chromosomes with sizes ranging from 4 to 7 Mb resulting in a total of about 34 Mb of DNA, a multicopy 90 kb extrachromosomal element that harbours the rRNA genes, and the 55 kb mitochondrial genome. The estimated number of genes in the genome is 8,000 to 10,000 and many of the known genes show a high degree of sequence similarity to homologues in vertebrate species.

Abbreviations: Dictyostelium discoideum genome database

Resource Type: data or information resource, database

Keywords: element, gene, basic research knowledge base, cell, chromosomal, chromosome, cloning, developmental, dictyostelium, differentiation, discoideum, disrupted, genome, homologous, homologues, insertional, mechanism, methodology, mitochondrial, molecular, motility, mutagenesis, mutant, organism, pair, rrna, sequence, shotgun, signal, size, specie, technique, transduction, vertebrate