Gene-rich human chromosome 19 sequence completed 31/3/04. By DOE Joint Genome Institute The sequencing of human chromosome 19 has been completed by the United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and Stanford University.

The sequence is described in the 1 April 2004 edition of the journal Nature.

Chromosome 19, at 55.8 million bases or letters of genetic code, although representing only about 2 per cent of the human genome, features nearly 1500 genes. They include genes that code for such diseases as insulin-dependent diabetes, myotonic dystrophy, migraines, and familial hypercholesterolemia (an inherited form of elevated blood cholesterol), which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Beyond the significant revelation that chromosome 19 has more than twice the gene density of the genome-wide average, it also offers a fertile landscape for exploring evolutionary motifs," said JGI Director Eddy Rubin. "An intriguing picture has emerged regarding conservation and divergence, revealing large blocks of gene conservation with rodents as well as segments of coding and noncoding conservation with more distant species such as the pufferfish, Fugu rubripes, which was also sequenced here at the JGI. While not long ago these noncoding regions were considered nonsense, now they are actually proving to have powerful regulatory influence over the genes that they bracket."

Adapted from a news release by the DOE Joint Genome Institute .

Futher reading

Grimwood J, et al (2004) The DNA sequence and biology of human chromosome 19. Nature 428: 529-35. Abstract