Finally, all genes must be assigned positions along rice's 12 chromosomes. The problem is, nobody really knows how large the rice genome is. It could be just 400 million bases, but Burr guesses it will be more. Rice sequencers will get a better idea when they merge the Monsanto data with a physical map of the genome. To complicate matters, the final sequence probably won't include DNA in centromeres, chromosomal regions that spindle fibers attach to during mitosis.
Centromeres are difficult to decipher because they contain highly repetitive sequences.
The next step is a concerted effort to find out the function of all those genes. Inc. All rights reserved. We welcome your opinion.