PIG GENOME UPDATE No. 1 July 1, 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This has been a busy few weeks relative to coordinating swine genome activities. A number of you have been kind enough to visit with me about your interests and concerns. In addition, there was a database meeting in Washington and the PiGMaP meeting in Ghent, Belgium. The following represents some of the results from these meetings and some of the other events which have occurred recently. PiGMaP Meeting * The PiGMaP meeting was attended by 54 individuals from the PiGMaP group and representatives of the genome groups from the U.S., Japan and Australia. Presentations were made from all groups. I gave a presentation about all U.S. labs using the information Joan and Larry had put together for the genome newsletter edited by Harris Lewin. The PiGMaP collaboration continues to bear fruit. The PiGMaP group has been active in adding a number of genes and markers to the genetic map. The public genetic map will be published shortly in Animal Genetics. In addition, those individuals, from any lab, who have mapped any genes to the PiGMaP gene map are allowed to have access to the "non-public map." This map probably has 300 markers or genes. * The PiGMaP participants are eager to have individual labs in the U.S. participate. Toward that end, Alan Archibald has promised to send more DNA for the Edinburgh 40 F2 animals. A copy of the APHIS permit form has been included in this mailing. If you desire to get DNA from the Edinburgh pigs please fill out the enclosed form, sign it and send it to me by August 1. I will send them in to APHIS with a letter explaining the need to speed approval. In addition, I have requested permission to import DNA from 20 F2 animals from France, 10 F2 animals from the Netherlands and 20 F2 from Sweden. When the general permits are available I will help to coordinate getting the permit extended to those individuals who desire to use the PiGMaP DNA. * On the subject of access to the PiGBASE database, the PiGMaP group agreed to make it available to anyone who wants access. The database is like GBase, the mouse database, and is developing well. Access to it is important until we have reached decisions on our approach to developing a database. (Please see my comments on the database meeting.) One question that has come up is who can have access to the "private lab data" from the PiGMaP group. They are developing a database with lab type data and it will be called RESPIG. It was decided that any lab putting five markers on the map using 80 of the PiGMaP pigs will have access to this database. This should be ready in the Fall. * Other details on results are numerous and a report is being prepared. If you have particular questions about certain results from any labs please give me a call. * Database Meeting * A few weeks ago in Washington a database meeting was held to discuss some of the options. John Keele chaired the meeting and Joan Lunney served as the representative from the swine group. The three options discussed were 1) using the Clay Center database, 2) using the PiGMaP database (PiGBASE) or a U.S. version of PiGBASE, or 3) developing a new database. There was good discussion but no decisions except to say that there was agreement that cooperation with international efforts was to be encouraged. Dick Frahm plans to request funds for database development in FY95. I have visited with some members of the committee and am planning to visit with other members of the technical committee to get suggestions and reach a consensus. If you have comments or concerns please relay those to the committee or to me. The final report of the committee will be released in November. For the moment, you may want to apply for access to the PiGMaP database. I have enclosed a form to send to Alan Archibald and a description of PiGBASE. Alan Hillyard has also agreed to consider creating a node from the Jackson labs. Somatic Cell Hybrid Panel * Richard Giles has announced that he probably will be leaving his work in gene mapping. He wishes to make his panel available to others. The description of his material is as follows. A rodent- swine hybrid cell clone collection has been produced for mapping swine genes by somatic cell genetics using the clone panel approach. Isozyme segregation data are available for a number of enzymes (see enclosed attachment). Synteny testing may be performed with clones to established synteny groups. Synteny testing can be used to indirectly assign a marker to a chromosome when synteny is detected with a marker assigned to a specific chromosome. The isozyme data are available in dBase IV version 1.5 format together with application programs for synteny testing. For further information please contact Richard E. Giles, Department of Animal Sciences, 228 PABL MC-051, 1201 W. Gregory Dr. University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 until July 31, 1993 (Tel: 217-333-3816; Fax: 217-244-5617). After July 31 please contact Max Rothschild. Gene Maps * Included in this mailing are some reprints concerning comparative gene mapping. I hope you will find them interesting and useful. If you have reprints from your work please send me a copy. That is the update for now. I will keep you informed of our progress. I look forward to working with all of you. Thank you again for your help and cooperation. Max F. Rothschild Swine Genome Coordinator 225 Kildee Hall Department of Animal Science Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011 Phone: 515-294-6202 or 3629 Fax: 515-294-2401 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Return to Previous Menu