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Pig Genome Newsletter #037
P I G G E N O M E U P D A T E
__________________________________________________________________
A Bimonthly Newsletter of the U.S. Pig Genome Coordination Program
************* No. 37 **************
* *
* <angenmap@db.genome.iastate.edu> *
* July 1, 1999 *
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1. The Hugo Comparative Mapping Workshop Held in France
2. NC210 and NC220 Met in East Lansing, Michigan
3. From Jay Lush to Genomics Conference Held in Ames, IA
4. A RPCI-44 Male Porcine BAC Library Has Been Constructed
5. Set VIII Fluorescent Primers Ready for Distribution
6. The RH panel for Swine is Available
7. "Animal Gene Mapping Community Directory" Database Developed
8. Plans already Underway for PAG-VIII, St. Diego, CA
9. Upcoming Meetings
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THE HUGO COMPARATIVE MAPPING WORKSHOP was held in early May in Toulouse,
France. A total 45 invited participants, including many pig
researchers, met and discussed developments in genome mapping in a
variety of mammalian species, with particular emphasis on progress in
farm animals (cattle, pig, chicken, sheep, horse, goat, deer). In
addition, scientists from some of the most important experimental
mammalian and vertebrate organisms including representatives from mouse,
rat, dog, fish and marsupial genome projects also attended the meeting.
The meeting included a rapid overview of progress in the construction
and comparison of genome maps and how comparative genomics can play a
vital role in the genetic dissection of quantitative traits and the
characterization of agriculturally important loci. Also discussed was
the acceleration of the gene discovery process using ESTs and the
construction of cDNA libraries, YACs and BACs and an RH panel.
Participants proposed ways to better share these tools. Other
discussions included better criteria for comparison of genes between
species and recommendations for use of nomenclature. A special emphasis
was made on how bioinformatics and the integration of biological
databases could help the scientific community. Special thanks go to our
host Dr. Joel Gellin and his colleagues. A report from the meeting is
being drafted for future publication.
o o o o o o o o o o o
NC210 and NC220, the USDA CSREES cooperative state regional projects on
swine genetic improvement and gene expression and mapping, recently met
in East Lansing Michigan. Hosted by Cathy Ernst and Ron Bates, the
meeting featured some opening talks with emphasis on muscle and
reproductive research at MSU and also tours of the beautiful new
facilities. The primary function of the meeting was to hear reports
from the various universities and government labs on the research and
the possibilities for cooperative research. The meetings were
reasonably well attended with representatives from over 10 groups. This
joint meeting was so successful that both groups agreed to meet together
in Raleigh, NC in June, 2000.
o o o o o o o o o o o
"From Jay Lush to Genomics: Visions for Animal Breeding and Genetics"
was held May 16-18, 1999, at Iowa State University. Many participants
are even calling it a "landmark" meeting. If you missed the meeting,
the full length papers and abstracts are now available on-line through
AgBiotechNet at the following website:
http://agbio.cabweb.org/conference/index.htm. A limited number of
printed hardcopies of the complete proceedings are now available (second
printing) on a first-come basis. If you want a copy, please send a
request along with a check or money order ($30 per copy, which includes
shipping and handling) to: Ann Shuey, 2225 Kildee Hall, Iowa State
University, Ames, IA 50011 USA. Email inquiries can be sent to her at
ashuey@iastate.edu. Also, for those interested, a picture of
conference participants is available at:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ans/graduate/visions_group.html and can
be downloaded. Other pictures of the activities are available for
viewing at: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ans/graduate/visions.html. A
special thanks to the speakers and participants who came from the 19
countries and over 60 institutions that helped to make it such a
success.
o o o o o o o o o o o
More new tools! A RPCI-44 Male Porcine BAC Library has been constructed
by the BACPAC Resource Center in the Department of Cancer Genetics at
Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, USA. Library
construction was supported by a contract from the United States
Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat
Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE. Blood from four male pigs
(breed: 37.5% Yorkshire, 37.5% Landrace, and 25% Meishan) was pooled and
genomic DNA was isolated from the white blood cells. The DNA (partially
EcoRI digested) was size selected and cloned into the EcoRI sites of the
pTARBAC2 vector. The average insert size is 165 kb and there is 10X
coverage of the porcine genome. The library has been arrayed into 384-
well microtiter plates and also gridded onto 22x22cm high-density nylon
hybridization filters for screening by probe hybridization. Each
hybridization membrane represents over 18,000 distinct porcine BAC
clones, stamped in duplicate. As part of the Pig Genome Coordination
effort, up to $650 will be supplied to US laboratories interested in
obtaining the filter sets. This will pay for approximately 50% of the
filters. Prior to taking advantage of this offer, please contact me at
mfrothsc@iastate.edu to confirm availability of funds.
o o o o o o o o o o o
More primers are here. A new set of 73 pairs of fluorescent primers
(Set VIII; April 1999) are now made and available for distribution.
This brings the total number of fluorescent primer pairs distributed by
the U.S. Pig Genome Coordinator to 377 pairs. Check out our updated
information on these primers at:
http://www.genome.iastate.edu/resources/fprimerintr.html or you may
browse down from our main page: http://www.genome.iastate.edu to "US Pig
Gene Mapping Coordination Program Shared Resources" section) and then to
"Fluorescent Primers". To order Set VIII fluorescent primers, please
send your request, along with your detailed postal address and your
daytime phone number (required), to mfrothsc@iastate.edu. Please
continue to make use of them and also be sure to acknowledge their
source as it helps to improve cooperation and coordination activities.
o o o o o o o o o o o
The RH panel for swine is available. Developed at INRA in Toulouse and
tested extensively by the University of Minnesota the panel is now ready
for distribution. To obtain aliquots, please contact Larry Schook at
schoo009@maroon.tc.umn.edu. Considerable funding will be provided by
the US Pig Genome Coordinator to help support this distribution
activity. Another RH panel is also available now through Research
Genetics at: http://www.resgen.com .
o o o o o o o o o o o
We have developed an "Animal Gene Mapping Community Directory" database.
This "Directory" will contain a name list of scientists/ researchers in
the research areas including but not limited to animal gene mapping,
molecular biology, genome analysis and related fields. The "Directory"
will serve the community as a people/address finder and as a guide to
the current studies in the community. Please go to
http://www.genome.iastate.edu/community/join.html to add your own
information. The database information is accessible to the ANGENMAP
subscribers only.
o o o o o o o o o o o
Plans already underway for PAG-VIII. Under the leadership of Steve
Heller, planning for PAG-VIII was underway even before we left San
Diego. A draft schedule of the meeting workshops, plenary sessions, and
computer demos is nearly complete (http://www.intl-
pag.org/pag/pag8work.html). Please note that we're starting about a
week earlier next year. Plant genomics and animal genomics sessions
will run concurrently after an initial plenary talk to open the day on
both Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, next year's meeting will
provide more time for dinner in between the afternoon and evening
workshops, and all of Tuesday night will be free to heed the call of San
Diego's (or Tijuana's) evening attractions. Finally, PAG-VIII will end
with a banquet on Wednesday evening and there will be no Thursday
morning sessions. However, for those interested, PAG-VIII will be
followed directly by the first Ag Microbial Genome meeting. Speakers
for morning talks at PAG-VIII are being chosen and contacted. Thanks to
all who have already provided suggestions and comments (kindly provided
by Jerry Dodgson).
o o o o o o o o o o o
Upcoming meetings:
American Society of Animal Science Annual meeting, July 21-24, 1999,
Indianapolis, IN. See: http://www.asas.uiuc.edu/99meet.
Transgenic Animal Research Conference, August 14-19, 1999, Granlibakken
Conference Center, Tahoe City, CA. Sponsored by the U.C. Davis
Biotechnology Program. Contact info.: mmmcgloughlin@ucdavis.edu.
50th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production
(EAAP): August 22 - 26, 1999 in Zurich (Switzerland). Information at:
http://eaap-1999-zurich.ethz.ch.
Candidate Genes for Animal Health (sponsored by the Research Institute
for the Biology of Farm Animals), August 25-27, 1999, Rostock, Germany.
Contact: http://www.fbn-dummerstorf.de/fb3/Symp99.htm.
The Microarray Meeting, Sept. 22-25, 1999, Phoenix, Arizona. Hosted by
Nature Genetics. For updated details see http://genetics.nature.com.
Cold Spring Harbor Fall Courses: Genome Informatics; Positional
Cloning: Contig to Candidate Gene; Computational Genomics, application
deadline, July 15, 1999. Contact: http://www.cshl.org/meetings.
Plant and Animal Genome VIII, joint with the NAGRP annual meetings, Jan.
8-13, 2000, Town & Country Convention Center, San Diego, CA. See:
http://www.intl-pag.org. Followed immediately by Ag Microbial Genome I,
Jan. 13-14, same location. See http://www.ag-microbial.org/agm.
International Society of Animal Genetics: Minneapolis, MN, USA will be
held July 24-27, 2000. Contact Brian Kirkpatrick at
bwkirkpat@facstaff.wisc.edu.
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Contributions to Pig Genome Update 38 including short meeting announcements
are always welcome. Please send by August 10.
Max Rothschild
U.S. Pig Genome Coordinator
2255 Kildee Hall, Department of Animal Science
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011
Phone: 515-294-6202, Fax: 515-294-2401
mfrothsc@iastate.edu
cc: Dick Frahm, CSREES and Caird Rexroad II, ARS
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U.S. PIG GENOME COORDINATION PROJECT
+-----------------------------------+
| Paid for by funds from the NRSP-8 | Web: http://www.genome.iastate.edu
| USDA/CSREES sponsored Pig Genome | Mailing list:
| Coordination Program | angenmap@db.genome.iastate.edu
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