The genomes of eukaryotic pathogens

The genome sequences of a number of important disease-causing eukaryotic organisms are either complete or close to completion. Analysis of these data provides important insights into the biology of these pathogens and canaccelerate progress in the broader research community by allowing biological systems or processes to be reconstructed, by providing short cuts to genes for further investigation, or by providing essential sequence data as a basis for subsequent molecular experiments. This article describes some of the insights of recent parasite genome projects including those of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and the causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei. Some key areas of these projects include reconstructing a parasite's metabolic capabilities by analysing the genome annotation, to help uncover new drug targets; or gaining new insights into the mechanisms of parasite immune-evasion by studying the genes involved and their organization. Furthermore, as more related genomes are sequenced, there are synergistic benefits in terms of knowledges gained. For instance, breaks in the conservation of gene order can lead to interesting species-specific genes.