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(Circulation. 2000;101:e29.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.

Circulation Electronic Pages

International Team Deciphers Chromosome 22

Ruth SoRelle, MPH¹

¹ Circulation Newswriter

	Introduction

 
An international team of researchers has deciphered the genetic code of chromosome 22. This is the first complete sequencing of a chromosome in the race to write the code of the entire human genome. The team was located at the following centers: Wellcome-Trust–funded Sanger Centre near Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, Keio University in Japan, and US laboratories at the University of Oklahoma and Washington University at St Louis.

Working in collaboration, the scientists spanned oceans to share information and succeeded in determining the sequence in which the >34 million base pairs are arranged along the strand of DNA on the chromosome. Along the way, they found 679 genes, 55% of which had never been identified in humans before. The finding gives scientists insight into how genes are arranged along a strand of DNA and what has to happen to control their function.

Mutations of genes on chromosome 22 adversely affect the workings of the immune system, cause congenital heart disease, and are associated with schizophrenia, various forms of mental retardation, and a variety of cancers.

Ian Dunham, MD, at the Sanger Centre led the international effort to decipher chromosome 22. He said, "This is the first time that we have been able to see the organization of a chromosome at the base-pair level. This immediately suggests new experiments and avenues of research which can be pursued."

Michael Dexter, MD, director of the Wellcome Trust commented, "For the first time, the scientific world knows what a whole human chromosome . . . [Full Text of this Article]