Anopheles gambiae is the primary vector that transmits human malaria. This disease causes an estimated 200 million clinical cases and more than one million deaths annually. With the ongoing sequencing efforts of the human and rodent malaria species, and the host genome (human), this research program will contribute to the understanding of mosquito genome structure and organization and will assist the development of malaria control strategies and improved anti-malarial drugs and vaccines.

The Anopheles gambiae str. PEST genome was sequenced using a whole genome shotgun (WGS) approach. Sequences were generated and assembled into contigs for submission to GenBank. In the current version of the assembly 8987 scaffolds (accessions AAAB01000001-AAAB01008987) have been submitted which are unique in the genome. Scaffolds are sets of ordered and oriented contigs with statistically derived estimates of the gaps sizes between contigs. Eighty scaffolds (comprising ~82% of the genome) in this group have been mapped to a chromosomal location. An additional to the assembly, 60,737 short contigs (typically < 1 Kbp each) were submitted which cannot be uniquely placed within the genome.

This Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the project accession AAAB00000000. Accession AAAB01000000 represents the first version of the assembly. Sequence data are retrievable through Entrez and available at the NCBI FTP site.

The International Anopheles Sequence Committee (IASC) is currently being established and will take custody of the assembled genome sequence and annotations once Celera Genomics has completed deposition. The IASC will be responsible for subsequent amendments of the sequence, and for related database management and coordination in consultation with The Anopheles Genome International Executive Board (AGIEB). Until such time as the IASC is established, Celera Genomics (contact: Robert A. Holt, PhD) will have responsibility for updates.

NIAID awarded a grant to Celera Genomics to sequence the genome of Anopheles gambiae, as part of an international consortium of Anopheles gambiae genome researchers and sequencing centers.

Available Documentation:

• NCBI Handbook: Map Viewer chapter - resource description
• NCBI Handbook: Map Viewer Exercises - tutorials and examples
• Map Viewer Help - details about navigation and customizing your display
• Genome Assembly - description of genome assembly and annotation process
• Gnomon - description of NCBI's Hidden Markov Model (HMM) ab initio prediction program