The avian genome uncovered

Our knowledge of avian genomics has increased rapidly over the past few years, culminating in the recent publication of a draft sequence of the chicken genome, a milestone event in avian genetics and evolutionary biology. Comparative analysis reveals a compact avian genome structure containing a similar number of genes as found in mammals but with shorter intergenic DNA sequences and fewer repeats. Recombination is at a higher rate than in mammals, particularly for microchromosomes. These also differ from macrochromosomes in their GC and gene content, and their substitution rate. The avian genome has remained unusually stable during evolution and contrasts sharply with the frequent chromosomal rearrangements seen in the rodent lineage. Detailed analyses of polymorphism levels in chickens, including a genome-wide screening in three chicken breeds yielding a set of 2.8 million SNP markers, reveal unexpectedly high levels of genetic diversity. As a notable exception, the female-specific W chromosome is very low in diversity, a probable consequence of the effect of selection on non-recombining chromosomes. The chicken genome promises to be a useful resource for ecological and evolutionary studies of other bird species.