KeyGene licenses Whole Genome Profiling to AGI

The Arizona Genome Institute (AGI) and KeyGene announced that they have entered into a broad license agreement that will enable AGI to market and execute sequence-based physical mapping projects using KeyGene’s proprietary Whole Genome Profiling (WGPTM) method.

The agreement includes on-site training to enable AGI scientists to apply the WGP method in their physical mapping projects. The agreement provides AGI with a state-of-the art solution to assemble physical maps of superior quality for internal research programs and customer projects. The WGP maps are used as scaffolds in whole genome sequencing programs, to provide direct access to Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs), containing genome segments of interest, and as a tool for revealing structural genome changes in evolutionary studies and breeding programs.

KeyGene’s WGP method forms part of KeyGene’s portfolio of Sequence Based Breeding applications. The WGP method uses next generation sequencing to produce short read sequences (“WGP tags”) adjacent to restriction enzyme recognition sites in BACs. For this, BACs are systematically pooled and BAC pool DNA isolated according to protocols developed by Amplicon Express. The WGP tags are used to assemble large numbers of BACs into a physical map of overlapping clones. Integration of whole genome sequence data with the WGP map results in super scaffolds with superior assembly metrics. So far, the WGP method has successfully contributed to many different genome projects covering a broad range of genome sizes and different ploidy levels including melon, cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper, lettuce, oil seed rape, tobacco, wheat and others. The WGP method is particularly valuable for complex genomes with a high fraction of repetitive regions.