Wallaby genome begins to reveal its secrets

The first sequence data from the wallaby genome project has revealed 68 per cent similarity between the human and wallaby genes encoding NADH dehydrogenase, an essential protein in the cell's energy powerhouses, the mitochondria.

"It's very useful to see a housekeeping gene with such a level of conservation," said Sue Forrest, director of the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF), which generated the sequence. "It confirms the wallaby's position in the evolutionary tree."

Forrest said finding similarities between human and other mammalian genomes and the wallaby was an important part of the genome project, as it would allow researchers to identify valuable regulatory sequences and essential genes. "We can learn just as much from the similarities as the differences," she said.

The release of the sequence data marks the first milestone of the multimillion dollar project, which has been funded by the US NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute, the Victorian government, AGRF and Applied Biosystems. Forrest is still seeking AUD$2.5 million in funding for the project, which has recently been boosted by a $50,000 contribution from the philanthropic Jack Brockhoff Foundation.

And the importance of the project is not lost on expatriate Australian Richard Gibbs, whose Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, is responsible for generating the other half of the data.

"This project is an important contribution for understanding the tree of life -- and for advancing collaborative research between the United States of America and Australia. The magnitude of the contribution of the National Human Genome Research Institute indicates strong confidence in the ability of the Australian groups to generate these important data," he said.

According to Marilyn Renfree, who leads the marsupial research team at Melbourne University, Australian marsupial researchers are eagerly awaiting the genome data.

"Our team has already learnt much about mammalian reproduction, development and genetics from the Tammar wallaby. In many cases marsupial genes are closer to humans than are the equivalent mouse genes," she said.

"Australian researchers will be well placed to harness the genome information to speed up our understanding of human and marsupial evolution, help us conserve Australia's unique marsupials, and develop unique biomedical research applications."

And the program may also be bringing funding benefits. Renfree and her colleagues have secured ongoing funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council to support their marsupial biology research program, and this week were short-listed for an ARC Centre of Excellence in Mammalian Genomics and Sex in conjunction with ANU and UNSW.