Marsupials belong to the Class Mammalia, sharing some features with other mammals, yet they also possess many unique features. It is their differences from the more traditionally studied mammals, such as mice and humans, that is of greatest value to comparative studies. Sequencing of genomes from two distantly related marsupials, the short grey-tailed opossum from South America and the Australian tammar wallaby, has launched marsupials into the genomics era and accelerated the rate of progress in marsupial research. With the current worldwide concern for the plight of the endangered Tasmanian devil, marsupial genetics and genomics research is even more important than ever if this species is to be saved from extinction. This volume recounts some of the history of research in this field and highlights the most recent advances in the many different areas of marsupial genetics and genomics research.
Author(s): Emily J. Miller, Catherine A. Herbert (auth.), Janine E. Deakin, Paul D. Waters, Jennifer A. Marshall Graves (eds.)
Edition: 1
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 519
Tags: Animal Genetics and Genomics
Front Matter....Pages i-xix
Front Matter....Pages 1-3
Breeding and Genetic Management of Captive Marsupial Populations....Pages 5-32
Front Matter....Pages 33-35
The Conserved Marsupial Karyotype: Chromosome Painting and Evolution....Pages 37-53
Marsupial Centomeres and Telomeres: Dynamic Chromosome Domains....Pages 55-73
Marsupial Linkage Maps....Pages 75-99
Physical and Comparative Gene Maps in Marsupials....Pages 101-115
Front Matter....Pages 117-119
Marsupial Sequencing Projects and Bioinformatics Challenges....Pages 121-132
Insight into Evolution of Gene Regulation Networks from the Opossum Genome....Pages 133-146
Front Matter....Pages 147-149
Organization and Evolution of the Marsupial X Chromosome....Pages 151-171
Gene Content of the Mammalian X Chromosome....Pages 173-185
Marsupial Sex Chromosome Behaviour During Male Meiosis....Pages 187-206
Compact but Complex – The Marsupial Y Chromosome....Pages 207-228
Front Matter....Pages 229-231
The Evolution of Genomic Imprinting – A Marsupial Perspective....Pages 233-257
Marsupial Genetics Reveals Insights into Evolution of Mammalian X Chromosome Inactivation....Pages 259-280
Front Matter....Pages 281-283
Molecular Regulation of Marsupial Reproduction and Development....Pages 285-316
Marsupial Milk – Identifying Signals for Regulating Mammary Function and Development of the Young....Pages 317-334
Front Matter....Pages 335-337
The Marsupial Major Histocompatibility Complex....Pages 339-356
Marsupial Immunoglobulin and T Cell Receptor Genomics....Pages 357-380
Use of Genomic Information to Gain Insights into Immune Function in Marsupials: A Review of Divergent Immune Genes....Pages 381-400
Front Matter....Pages 401-402
Visual Pigments and Colour Vision in Marsupials and Monotremes....Pages 403-414
The Evolutionary History of Globin Genes: Insights from Marsupials and Monotremes....Pages 415-433
Front Matter....Pages 401-402
The Olfactory Receptor Gene Family of Marsupials....Pages 435-456
Front Matter....Pages 457-459
Marsupial Population and Conservation Genetics....Pages 461-497
Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD): Using Genetics and Genomics to Investigate Infectious Disease in an Endangered Marsupial....Pages 499-515
Back Matter....Pages 517-519
