Using deCODEme’s genome browser software and the raw genomic data from 23andme that deCODEme generously allowed me to import, I can analyse any of my family’s ~25,000 genes against one another and identify if any matches exist. For example, Chromosome 6, contains genes that determine whether or not someone would be a good organ donor for me or I for them. The figure below shows a screen capture of deCODEme’s excellent Genome Browser. Using Genome Browser, I can identify the similarity between my genome and any other publicly available genome. In addition, at my discretion, I can share with anyone who shares their genomic material with me privately, which for me is my family. (You may elect to not share with anyone at all or to share with family members only for privacy reasons). In the following figures, colored bars indicate the similarity between myself and the person indicated for the region on Chromosome 6.
Not surprisingly, my sister Jill and my brother David have areas on diploid chromosome 6 which are 100% identical for both copies of the chromosome. This indicates that, with respect to this region, the haploid chromosome on my mother’s gamete was identical for my sibling and me, and the haploid chromosome on my father’s gamete was identical for my sibling and me (magenta). In other areas, we received opposite haploid chromosomal material from both gametes and thus have no more genetic similarity that our parents have with one another in these regions (blue=low/no sharing) on either copy of our diploid chromosome. In other areas we only share lengthy sequences of SNPs in common on one strand of the two copies of diploid chromosome 6 (green). Note the red and blue bands that surround nucleotide sequences at about 30,000 base pairs in the first figure. Between these two bands lie the histocompatibility genes which control whether or not a person is a match for an organ donation. If I were in need of an organ, unfortunately, neither my sister Jillellyn, nor my brother David, would be ideal candidates because the magenta area (indicating 100% identity) does not extend into this region for either one of them. I still have one brother left to test, and I have about a 1 in 5 chance of a perfect match over the entire histocompatibility region.
