Chromosomal localization of large insert clones of the chicken genome: expanding the comparative map

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) mapping provides a convenient method for aligning clone-based physical maps with the cytogenetic map of the chicken. This also provides framework marker locations for future cytogenetic mapping using dual label techniques. In the course of screening chicken BAC libraries with linkage map markers, several BACs were selected for FISH mapping. These clones derived from filter hybridization using conventional probes for chicken genes on chromosomes 1 (MGP, MGF, TYR), 4 (ALB, ANXA5, ENDRA) and Z (CTSL, NTRK2, TPM2, and UBAP2). Cytogenetic assignments were first done for seven genes (MGP, MGF, ANXA5, ENDRA, CTSL, TPM2, and UBAP2), and chromosome location was defined more precisely for three other genes (TYR, ALB, and NTRK2). These data provide new information for comparative mapping of conserved segments of orthologous genes between chicken and human chromosomes, including GGA1-HSA12, GGA1-HSA11, GGA4-HSA4 and GGAZ-HSA9. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by grants from the Russian Foundation for Basic Researches 03-04-48060-a, Russian Ministry of Education PD02-1.4-175 and INTAS 04-2163 and by the USDA/CSREES (Project numbers: 99-35205-8566 and 2001-52100-11225).