FAPESP - Aedes aegypti cDNA project in partnership with Institut Pasteur - AMSUD network

• Grant number: 04/10136-8
• Support Opportunities: Genome Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2004
• End date: May 31, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Verjovski Almeida
• Grantee: Sergio Verjovski Almeida
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

We propose that Pasteur Institute and Brazilian teams join their efforts to participate in the International Aedes Genome Sequencing Project initiated by D Severson. The following strategy is proposed: Construction of cDNA libraries with an emphasis on enriching for full-length clones. We will focus on 1) genes expressed specifically in the midgut of female adult mosquitoes and that would provide insight in the biology of this tissue, as well as 2) discovering the initiation sites for various families of genes. This project will provide information complementary to the EST projects and will be of critical importance defining and predicting complete genes during genome annotation. The goal of this cDNA project is find evidence for new genes and to create data that will allow a better definition of the gene structure in the major disease vector Aedes aegypti. The project will provide an important collaboration between the Institut Pasteur Paris and a network of South American laboratories and will also present a significant contribution to the international Aedes genome sequencing effort. (AU)