Nasonia vitripennis Empirical Genome Annotation
The parasitic Hymenoptera is a diverse and extremely important insect group, with more species beneficial to humans among the parasitic Hymenoptera than in any other insect group. Parasitoids are important natural enemies of agricultural pests and vectors of human and animal disease.
Nasonia is the first group of parasitoids to have their genomes sequenced, with full (7X) coverage of
N. vitripennis and partial (1X) coverage of two sibling species. In collaboration with Baylor Human Genome Sequencing, Dr. John Werren (University of Rochester) and other members of the
Nasonia Genome Consortium, The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics is playing a crucial role in developing
Nasonia genomics. Efforts are in two key areas. First, we are investigating the
Nasonia transcriptome by Tiling Expression Arrays, normalized expression libraries, and development of expression microarrays for the
Nasonia community. Second, we are involved in mapping scaffolds from the
Nasonia assembly onto chromosomal linkage groups using a DNA microarray hybridization approach.
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS: John Colbourne
Justin Choi
FUNDING: The Indiana Center for Insect Genomics, The National Institutes of Health
DATA: cDNA libraries are completed and being sequenced. Data using genome tiling path microarrays are being collected now.
