Response to Hron et al.
Hron et al. provide transcriptome evidence that three (1.1 %) of the 274 genes reported by Lovell et al. as missing in birds may actually be 'hidden' as a result of high GC content. Although this factor may explain some gene absences from genomic assemblies, we believe it is insufficient to account for the extensive syntenic losses described in Lovell et al. Please see related article: www.dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13059-015-0724-z.
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Peter V
PV
Lovell
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Morgan
M
Wirthlin
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.|Oregon National Primate Research Center, West Campus, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Lucia
L
Carbone
The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Wesley C
WC
Warren
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA. melloc@ohsu.edu.
Claudio V
CV
Mello
D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001717:Birds / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans
D030161:Avian Proteins