The Case for Sequencing the Pacific Oyster Genome

Hedgecock, D., P. M. Gaffney, P. Goulletquer, X. Guo, K. Reece, and G. W. Warr. 2005. The case for sequencing the Pacific oyster genome. Journal of Shellfish Research 24:429-441.

This “white paper” was the first to advocate for the sequencing of the Pacific oyster genome. The paper describes the biological and genomic resources available (at that time) to support a genome sequencing project, including the fourth-generation inbred line 51, from which a BAC DNA library was constructed and which ultimately provided the oyster whose genome was sequenced by the Beijing Genome Institute (Zhang et al. 2012). Also mentioned are the 51 × 35 F1 and F2 hybrids, which have been used extensively for research on heterosis and inbreeding depression; this research provided a framework for genomic approaches to understanding heterosis and its applications to shellfish breeding and, thus, a compelling rationale for sequencing the genome.