When one thinks of animals related to our species, apes usually spring to mind: chimps, orangutans, bonabos, the usual. What about a zerbrafish, however? Scientists have developed a genome sequence for the tiny swimmer, and it seems that there are some remarkable similarities between the fish's DNA and our own .
In a study published in the journal Nature, the team shows that 70 percent of protein-coding genes found in humans and 84 percent of genes linked to human disease can be found in the zebrafish. The scientists are placing a special emphasis on the potential biomedical research that could arise from taking a closer look at these disease-linked genes that humans and zebrafish share.
"The vast majority of human genes have counterparts in the zebrafish, especially genes related to human disease," says study author professor Jane Rogers.
"By modeling these human disease genes in zebrafish, we hope that resources worldwide will produce important biological information regarding the function of these genes and possibly find new targets for drug development."
There are many obvious differences to get over - fish vs. man, fins vs. feet - but the fact is that zebrafish, and all fish for that matter, are vertebrates which have share a common ancestor with us humans.
The completed genome sequence showed that zebrafish have the highest repeat content of any vertebrate species (recorded so far), and that zebrafish have far fewer pseudogenes, genes whose functions have been swept under the rug by evolution, than humans - a paltry 154 compared to the 13,000 or so we have.
"This high quality genome is testament to the many scientists who worked on this project and will spur biological research for years to come," Rogers said.