ESTs
Flatworm Genes May Provide Insights Into Human Diseases, Researchers Say: "ESTs are short sequences of DNA produced by the reverse transcription of messenger RNA into complementary DNA. Sequencing and categorizing ESTs allow researchers to rapidly identify genes. Previously sequenced ESTs came from asexual planarians.
"One of the striking things we found is that when we look at planarian genes, we see a group that is conserved between planarians and mammals that is not found in Drosophila or C. elegans," said Phillip A. Newmark, a professor of cell and developmental biology at Illinois. "We speculate that these conserved sequences may play roles in processes such as long-term tissue maintenance and cell turnover that are likely less important for short-lived organisms like nematodes and insects," wrote Newmark and colleagues."
"One of the striking things we found is that when we look at planarian genes, we see a group that is conserved between planarians and mammals that is not found in Drosophila or C. elegans," said Phillip A. Newmark, a professor of cell and developmental biology at Illinois. "We speculate that these conserved sequences may play roles in processes such as long-term tissue maintenance and cell turnover that are likely less important for short-lived organisms like nematodes and insects," wrote Newmark and colleagues."