Abstract
Before sequencing the human genome, the number of genes it contained was estimated to be ∼100 000. Surprisingly, the gene number estimated independently from the sequencing efforts of the public genome consortium and Celera's private effort, was ∼30 000. The number of genes seemed ridiculously low compared with the lowly mustard weed's 25 000 and the fruitfly's 13 000. A new estimate by John Hogenesch et al. (Cell, 24 August) puts the figure >30% higher, at ∼42 000. The revised estimate was achieved by comparing the two gene sets (generated by the public consortium and Celera) and finding that they overlap by only ∼50%. DM
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