Pig Genome Update No. 37angenmap@db.genome.iastate.eduJuly 1, 1999 |
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 |
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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).
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.
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 Roger Gerrits, ARS
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