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Pig Genome Newsletter #014
Pig Genome Update No. 14
September 1, 1995
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Cytogenetics and gene mapping were discussed at the recent 9th North American
Colloquium on Domestic Animal Cytogenetics and Gene Mapping at College Station,
Texas. Nearly 70 participants from 14 countries attended the three-day program.
The meeting also featured several speakers as part of a NAGRP sponsored
"Symposium on Animal Gene Mapping." The first invited speaker, Dr. Mike
Siciliano, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, presented an interesting
report, "Painting probes from hybrid cells for mapping and chromosome
rearrangement identification." He reported his efforts with monochromosomal
(human) somatic cell lines and their use in developing region specific probes.
The second invited speaker was Dr. Ruedi Fries from the Animal Production
Institute in Munich. Dr. Fries' paper, "Comparative genome maps and positional
candidate cloning in domestic species," was an extremely interesting
presentation that examined the progress made using ZOO-Fish for comparative
gene mapping and the ever-increasing role that positional cloning is expected
to play in human and domestic animal gene identification. The third invited
speaker, Dr. Deryl Troyer, Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology,
Kansas State University, discussed the "Use of DISC-PCR in conjunction with
other physical mapping methods." His excellent presentation discussed several
techniques for physical mapping including FISH and DISC-PCR. He also outlined
possible pitfalls of the procedure and presented results related to several pig
chromosomes including chromosomes 1 and 7 in which markers from linkage maps
were physically mapped. Invited speaker, Dr. Sue Naylor, Department of Cellular
and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Center, in San Antonio,
presented a very interesting overview of the human chromosome 3 project. This
project has over 50 scientists working on chromosome 3 and the progress in both
gene mapping and identification of disease genes was exciting. The final
speaker was Dr. T. C. Hsu, Department of Cell Biology, M.D. Anderson Hospital
and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas. Dr. Hsu gave an insightful and humorous
talk on "A historical overview of mammalian cytogenetics." He overviewed the
amazing progress in cytogenetics over the last few decades. In addition to the
invited speakers, there were 28 short presentations and 19 abstracts covering
many species and a great deal of physical and genetic mapping including results
in the pigs, which will be added to PiGBASE. Dr. Jim Womack and Ms. Penny Riggs
and their colleagues did an excellent job. Next year's meeting will be in
Zaragoza, Spain June 26-28, 1996.
Florida was the site for the American Society of Animal Science meetings that
featured many interesting papers in several sections. One section was devoted
to " Molecular Markers and Quantitative Trait Loci" and included papers on pig
quantitative trait loci. Results were discussed from University of Wisconsin
and Oklahoma State University on GH and IGF1 relationships to growth and
carcass traits, Brigham Young University on RAPD markers and growth and carcass
traits and PIC presented continued ESR results for litter size. Papers on QTL
in mice and cattle and new statistical approaches were also presented orally
and at the poster session. Abstracts are published in J. Anim. Sci. 73
(supplement 1). Appropriate abstacts will be added to the database shortly. In
addition, the Contemporary Issues Symposium discussed implications related to
genetic engineering and patenting. Dr. James Lauderdale from Upjohn spoke on
genetically modified animals and offered suggestions on working with the public
and in obtaining public support for research in the animal sciences. Dr. Beth
Lautner from NPPC discussed use of antibiotics in the livestock industry. Dr.
Thomas Fretz, Dean of the College of Agiculture at the University of Maryland,
gave an excellent talk on the role of patenting and highlighted how industry
and universities should work together.
An additional 25 pairs will be produced this month and be available. This
brings the total to 299 pairs of primers that have been shipped to gene mappers
and QTL researchers in over 26 labs in 10 countries.
Ideas from pig gene mappers are needed as the new fiscal year is approaching.
In May, we helped organize and host a conference on automated genotyping and
have been visiting with those members of PiGMaP currently using automated
genotyping in order to further develop this technology in the U.S. We are now
compiling a list of microsatellite primers that could be used in automated
genotyping projects. Once a list is complete, we will consider making
fluorescent markers for some or all of these primers. Other ideas of services
that can be provided as parts of the coordination effort are under
consideration. Your thoughts on these matters would be appreciated.
Information on inherited disorders in pigs can now be accessed through the
internet. A catalogue of inherited disorders in pigs is now available on our
pig genome WWW page and on the Internet. It is part of Mendelian Inheritance in
Animals (MIA) which is a catalogue of genes and phenes (familial traits) in
animal species other than mouse, rat and primates. The MIA is modelled on, and
is complementary to, Dr. Victor McKusick's Mendelian Inheritance in Man (MIM).
The online version of MIA is called OMIA. It can be searched in exactly the
same way as OMIM, which is the online version of MIM. The OMIA is presently
available on our pig gene mapping home page and from the home page of the
Australian National Genomic Information Service (ANGIS) at the University of
Sydney [http://morgan.angis.su.oz.au]. OMIA is also accessible in ACeDB format
from the Agricultural Genomic Information Server (AGIS) of the USDA's National
Agricultural Library [http://probe.nalusda.gov]. In both formats, if there
appears to be from the pig a human homologue of an animal phene, the relevant
MIM number provides a direct link to the relevant entry in OMIM. The present
version of OMIA contains bibliographic details for 7219 publications on 1111
phenes across 21 species, including 1375 publications on 222 phenes in pigs.
The catalogue is updated continually but is incomplete in many ways, and the
editor, Frank Nicholas, would be grateful for suggestions for improvements
(including suggestions for references that should be included). He can be
reached at [frankn@doolittle.vetsci.su.oz.au] (kindly provided by Frank
Nicholas).
Don't forget the NRSP-8 meetings and the pig gene mapping NC-210 meeting. The
annual meeting of the National Genome Research Program Technical committees
(NSRP8) will be held October 2527, 1995 at the University of Maryland
Continuing Education Center (301- 9857303). Rooms are $74 for a single and $89
for a double. Organizers include Dr. Joan Lunney (housing and registration),
Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick (keynote speakers) and Dr. Sue Lamont (workshop
speakers). Rooms are reserved under the title RUSDA Swine Poultry Cattle Genome
Meetings. Tentative schedules for the meetings include:
Wednesday, Oct. 25 NC168 Poultry meetings and arrival
of other attendees.
Thursday, Oct. 26 Individual species meetings during
day, social and executive committee
meeting in the evening.
Friday, Oct. 27 Keynote speakers (from NIH and National
Cancer Institute),
business meeting, funding workshops
(ending by 3 pm.).
Agenda items will include a proposal to start an Animal Genome meeting in
conjunction with the Plant Genome meetings (usually held in San Diego) in early
spring of 1997, updates on database progress, and plans for continuation of
coordinated animal genome work after current project ends in 1998. Please
contact your species chair or email me at mfrothsc@iastate.edu if you have
questions on attending.
Contributions to Pig Genome Update 15 including short meeting announcements are
always welcome. Please send by the 15th of October.
Max F. Rothschild
U.S. Pig Genome
Coordinator
225 Kildee Hall
Department of Animal Science
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011
Phone: 515-294-6202
Fax: 515-294-2401
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