Editing Comparative genomics (section)

==Significance of comparative genomics==
Comparative genomics holds profound significance across various fields, including medical research, basic biology, and biodiversity conservation. For instance, in medical research, predicting how genomic variants limited ability to predict which genomic variants lead to changes in organism-level phenotypes, such as increased disease risk in humans, remains challenging due to the immense size of the genome, comprising about three billion nucleotides.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bornstein K, Gryan G, Chang ES, Marchler-Bauer A, Schneider VA | title = The NIH Comparative Genomics Resource: addressing the promises and challenges of comparative genomics on human health | journal = BMC Genomics | volume = 24 | issue = 1 | pages = 575 | date = September 2023 | pmid = 37759191 | pmc = 10523801 | doi = 10.1186/s12864-023-09643-4 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = A comparative genomics multitool for scientific discovery and conservation | journal = Nature | volume = 587 | issue = 7833 | pages = 240–245 | date = November 2020 | pmid = 33177664 | doi = 10.1038/s41586-020-2876-6 | pmc = 7759459 | bibcode = 2020Natur.587..240Z | vauthors = Zoonomia C, Serres A, Armstrong J, Johnson J, Marinescu VD, Murén E, Juan D, Bejerano G, Casewell NR, Chemnick LG, Damas J, Di Palma F, Diekhans M, Fiddes IT, Garber M, Gladyshev VN, Goodman L, Haerty W, Houck ML, Hubley R, Kivioja T, Koepfli K, Kuderna LF, Lander ES, Meadows JR, Murphy WJ, Nash W, Noh HJ, Nweeia M, Pfenning AR }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lappalainen T, Scott AJ, Brandt M, Hall IM | title = Genomic Analysis in the Age of Human Genome Sequencing | journal = Cell | volume = 177 | issue = 1 | pages = 70–84 | date = March 2019 | pmid = 30901550 | pmc = 6532068 | doi = 10.1016/j.cell.2019.02.032 }}</ref>

To tackle this challenge, comparative genomics offers a solution by pinpointing nucleotide positions that have remained unchanged over millions of years of evolution. These conserved regions indicate potential sites where genetic alterations could have detrimental effects on an organism's fitness, thus guiding the search for disease-causing variants. Moreover, comparative genomics holds promise in unraveling the mechanisms of gene evolution, environmental adaptations, gender-specific differences, and population variations across vertebrate lineages.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kircher M, Witten DM, Jain P, O'Roak BJ, Cooper GM, Shendure J | title = A general framework for estimating the relative pathogenicity of human genetic variants | journal = Nature Genetics | volume = 46 | issue = 3 | pages = 310–315 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24487276 | pmc = 3992975 | doi = 10.1038/ng.2892 }}</ref>

Furthermore, comparative studies enable the identification of genomic signatures of selection—regions in the genome that have undergone preferential increase and fixation in populations due to their functional significance in specific processes.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = de la Fuente R, Díaz-Villanueva W, Arnau V, Moya A | title = Genomic Signature in Evolutionary Biology: A Review | journal = Biology | volume = 12 | issue = 2 | pages = 322 | date = February 2023 | pmid = 36829597 | doi = 10.3390/biology12020322 | doi-access = free | pmc = 9953303 }}</ref> For instance, in animal genetics, indigenous cattle exhibit superior disease resistance and environmental adaptability but lower productivity compared to exotic breeds. Through comparative genomic analyses, significant genomic signatures responsible for these unique traits can be identified. Using insights from this signature, breeders can make informed decisions to enhance breeding strategies and promote breed development.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Verma S, Thakur A, Katoch S, Shekhar C, Wani AH, Kumar S, Dohroo S, Singh G, Sharma M | title = Differences in innate and adaptive immune response traits of Pahari (Indian non-descript indigenous breed) and Jersey crossbred cattle | journal = Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology | volume = 192 | pages = 20–27 | date = October 2017 | pmid = 29042011 | doi = 10.1016/j.vetimm.2017.09.003 }}</ref>