Department of Veterinary Medicine

Cambridge Veterinary School

Research in Veterinary Medicine

Malcolm A. Ferguson-Smith

Position(s): Research Professor; Emeritus professor of Pathology

Email: maf12@cam.ac.uk

Tel.: +44 (0)1223 766496

Other relevant links

Research description

A human metaphase and a human interphase nucleus 'painted' with chromosome-specific DNA probes from a gibbon

Our group uses the techniques of molecular cytogenetics, including chromosome sorting by flow cytometry, chromosome microdissection and gene mapping, to study vertebrate karyotype evolution and phylogenomics. In our role as the Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics we provide the international genomics community with chromosome-specific DNA from over 120 different species. These resources are used mostly for comparative gene mapping, evolutionary studies and experimental cancer cytology. Our Chromhome database gives online access to cross-species chromosome homology maps. A current research interest of the group is in the evolution of sex chromosome systems in vertebrates, particularly in monotremes, birds and reptiles.

Main collaborators

  • Prof Alexander Graphodatsky, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk
  • Prof Jenny Graves, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Prof Terry Robinson, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland
  • Prof Julio Pieczarka. Federal University of Para, Brazil
  • Prof Diane Cox, University of Alberta, Edmonton
  • Prof Darren Griffin, University of Kent
  • Dr Gauthier Dobigny, CBGP, Montpellier
  • Dr Fengtang Yang, Sanger Institute
  • Dr Wes Warren, Washington State University, St Louis
  • Dr David Goudie, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee

Key publications since 2001

  • YANG, F., ALKALAEVA, E.Z., PERELMAN, P.L., PARDINI, A.T., HARRISON, W.R., O'BRIEN, P.C.M., FU, B., GRAPHODATSKY, A.S., FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A., ROBINSON, T.J. (2003) Reciprocal chromosome painting among human, aardvark, and elephant (superorder Afrotheria) reveals the likely eutherian ancestral karyotype. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100: 1062-1066.
  • RENS, W., GRÜTZNER, F., O'BRIEN, P.C.M., FAIRCLOUGH, H., GRAVES, J.A.M., FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A. (2004) Resolution and evolution of the duck-billed platypus karyotype with an X1Y1X2Y2X3Y3X4Y4X5Y5 male sex chromosome constitution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:16257-16261.
  • GRÜTZNER, F., RENS, W., TSEND-AYUSH, E., EL-MOGHARBEL, N., O'BRIEN, P.C.M., JONES, R.C., FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A., GRAVES, J.A.M. (2004) In the platypus a meiotic chain of ten sex chromosomes shares genes with the bird Z and mammal X chromosomes. Nature 432: 913-917.
  • FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A., YANG, F., RENS, W., O'BRIEN, P.C.M. (2005) The impact of chromosome sorting and painting on the comparative analysis of primate genomes. Cytogenet. Genome Res. 108: 112-121.
  • FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A. (2007) The evolution of sex chromosomes and sex determination in vertebrates and the key role of DMRT1. Sexual Development 1:2-11.
  • BALMUS, G, TRIFONOV, V.A., BILTUEVA, L.A., O'BRIEN, P.M.C., ALKALAEVA, E.S., FU, B., SKIDMORE, J.A., ALLEN, T., GRAPHODATSKY, A.S., YANG, F., FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A. (2007) Cross-species painting among camel, cattle, pig and human; further insights into the putative Cetartiodactyla ancestral karyotype. Chromosome Research 15:499-514.
  • GRAPHODATSKAYA, D., RENS, W., WALLIS, M.C., TRIFONOV, V.A., O'BRIEN, P.C.M., CLARKE, O., GRAVES, J.A.M., FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A. (2007) Search for the sex determining switch in monotremes: mapping WT1, SF1, LHX1, LHX2, FGF9, WNT4, RSPO1 and GATA4 in platypus. Chromosome Research 15:777-785.
  • EDWARDS, C.A., RENS, W., CLARKE, O., MUNGALL, A.J., HORE, T.A., GRAVES, J.A.M., DUNHAM, I., FERGUSON-SMITH, A.C., FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A. (2007) The evolution of imprinting: chromosome mapping of orthologues of mammalian imprinted domains in monotremes and marsupial mammals. BMC Evolutionary Biology 7:157
  • RENS, W., 0'BRIEN, P.C.M., GRUTZNER, F., CLARKE, O., GRAPHODATSKAYA, D., TSEND-AYUSH, E., TRIFONOV, V.A., SKELTON, H., WALLIS, M.C., JOHNSTON, S., VEYRUNES, F., GRAVES, J.A.M. FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A. (2007) The multiple sex chromosomes of platypus and echidna are not completely identical and several share homology with the avian Z. Genome Biology 8:R243
  • FERGUSON-SMITH, M.A., TRIFONOV, V. (2007) Mammalian karyotype evolution. Nature Reviews Genetics 8, 950-962.