The sequencing of the human genome is well underway. Technology has advance
d, such that the total genomic sequence is possible, along with an extensiv
e catalogue of genes via comprehensive cDNA libraries. With the recent comp
letion of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae sequencing project and the imminent
completion of that of Caenorhabditis elegans, the most frequently asked que
stion is how much can sequence data alone tell us? The answer is that that
a DNA sequence taken in isolation from a single organism reveals very littl
e. The vast majority of DNA in most organisms is noncoding. Protein coding
sequences or genes cannot function as isolated units without interaction wi
th noncoding DNA and neighboring genes. This genomic environment is specifi
c to each organism. In order to understand this we need to look at similar
genes in different organisms, to determine how function and position has ch
anged over the course of evolution. By understanding evolutionary processes
we can gain a greater insight into what makes a gene and the wider process
es of genetics and inheritance. Comparative genomics (with model organisms)
, once the poor relation of the human genome project, is starting to provid
e the key to unlock the DNA code. BioEssays 1999,21.121-130. (C) 1999 John
Wiley a Sons, Inc.