The amphioxus genome and the evolution of the chordate karyotype

Lancelets (‘amphioxus’) are the modern survivors of an ancient chordate lineage, with a fossil record dating back to the Cambrian period. Here we describe the structure and gene content of the highly polymorphic ∼520-megabase genome of the Florida lancelet Branchiostoma floridae, and analyse it in the context of chordate evolution. Whole-genome comparisons illuminate the murky relationships among the three chordate groups (tunicates, lancelets and vertebrates), and allow not only reconstruction of the gene complement of the last common chordate ancestor but also partial reconstruction of its genomic organization, as well as a description of two genome-wide duplications and subsequent reorganizations in the…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Awards: -AC02-05CH11231, W-7405, DE-AC02-06NA25396, 05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02, 7405-Eng-48, DE-AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02-
• GA
  Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• WT
  Wellcome Trust
• MO
  Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

  Award: DE-AC02-05CH11231
• OO
  Office of Science

  Awards: AC02-05CH11231, -AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
• UN
  U.S. National Library of Medicine
• BA
  Biological and Environmental Research

  Awards: 05CH11231, DE-AC02-05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231
• LL
  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Awards: -7405-Eng-48, DE-AC02-05CH11231, W-7405-Eng-48
• LB
  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  Awards: DE-AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231
• LA
  Los Alamos National Laboratory

  Award: DE-AC02-05CH11231