GENOME

NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 1

January, 1997

**POULTRY GENOME NEWSLETTER-1997** Issue No. 1, January, 1997

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL READERS OF THIS NEWSLETTER! May all your genes be tightly linked to existing clones and your QTL be significant, reproducible, of the largest possible effect, obtained with minimum effort and in the shortest time, providing immediate applicability and the fastest approach to the isolation of the searched QTL.*

*Last year's newsletter greeting as enhanced by Jossi Hillel, PSA Symposium, Louisville, 1996.

This issue of the Newsletter is coming out a little early for a variety of reasons, but it gives me the chance to wish a Happy Holiday Season to all our readers. The Holidays will be well underway or over for some of you when you get this, while others still rush to prepare, but Best Wishes to you and your families. Hopefully, poultry will (or did) contribute in some way to your enjoyment.

PLANT AND ANIMAL GENOME V (PAG-V)/NAGRP/NC-168;

January 11-16, 1997, San Diego, CA.

It is still not too late to register for PAG-V, along with the joint NC-168 and NRSP-8 meetings to be held January 11-16, 1997 at the Town & Country Hotel (1-800-772-8527) in San Diego. NC-168 Station Reports and the Business Meeting (and the Poultry Subcommittee of NRSP-8) will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 11 in the Helix Room (why not the Double Helix Room?). The agenda has been prepared jointly by Doug Foster (NC-168) and Jim Bitgood (NRSP-8). (Don't forget to bring 40! copies of your Station Report, along with your swimsuit and shades.) PAG-V will include Plenary Sessions in areas such as New Technologies, QTLs, Gene Discovery and Characterization, Comparative Map Based Analysis, Gene and Chromosome Organization, and Genome Diversity. Poster Sessions and the combined NRSP-8 (NAGRP) Business Meeting will also be included. Registration is now $375 ($100 for predoctoral students), and the hotel room rate will be $75.00 plus tax (single or double occupancy). All administrative questions, including requests for the registration brochure, should be directed to Scherago International, Inc.; 212-643-1750; email pag5@scherago.com. Note: As advertised here and on angenmap previously, some Poultry Coordination funds will be available to assist with travel costs to PAG-V, but this must be approved in advance of the meeting. Contact Jerry Dodgson at 22314jbd@msu.edu, NOW, if interested.

THE NC-168 RENEWAL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. Thanks to all who provided email commentary, publication lists, and editorial assistance. Special thanks to Ed Smith for drafting the Critical Review and putting up with all our requests for more coverage for our work and to Sue Lamont (and her secretary, Ann Shuey) for organizing the whole process and particularly for the last minute assembly and proofing of the final draft. This was a particularly challenging renewal, since NC-168 has not actually met since Oct., 95. Welcome to Collaboration In Silico!

LESS THAN 365 DAYS UNTIL THE RENEWAL DEADLINE FOR NRSP-8! The NRSP-8 National Animal Genome Research Program renewal application will be due in late 1997. As requested, Species Coordinators have begun to consider objectives and a structure on which to base for such an application. A draft proposal should be ready for consideration at the business meeting in San Diego in Jan. At the moment, 3 objectives have been proposed which are, roughly speaking:

1. Develop high resolution comparative genome maps aligned across species.

2. Enhance existing linkage maps and integrate them with various types of physical maps.

3. Provide editorial and development support for internationally shared species genome databases and generate and distribute other community resources (e.g., mapping primer sets, DNA panels, special clone libraries, newletters, conferences, etc.) to expand the usefulness of genome maps.

Aspects of the structure of a potential future NRSP-8 which need to be considered include: should we continue to have Species Coordinators (perhaps better called "Facilitators") and, if so, how should they be chosen? Can bioinformatics (database, WWW) activities be centralized at a single location? What sort of budget is feasible to request? Is there an opportunity to integrate our efforts with plant agricultural genomics into a larger Food-Related Genome Initiative? Suggestions on these or any other aspects of NRSP-8 would be welcomed by the relevant Species Coordinators.

OTHER NAGRP NEWS

A horse is a horse, of course, of course: Researchers studying the horse genome have put together an addendum to join the NAGRP, which will probably be reviewed in San Diego. An additional Species Technical Committee for the horse is therefore expected to be part of the effort to renew NRSP-8, as described above. There remains the possibility that aquaculture (fish) will also form an additional Species Committee in time for the renewal application.

Alphabet Soup: As an outgrowth of the Madison, WI meeting described in the last Newsletter, Colin Scanes (lead Administrative Advisor for NRSP-8), Neal Jorgensen (Emeritus Administrative Advisor) and Dan Laster (Director, USDA-ARS-Meat Animal Research Center) have put together a draft agreement on future NRSP-8 policy that will formaly place shared responsibility for the National Animal Genome Research Program with both USDA-CSREES/SAES and USDA-ARS under the USDA Research, Education, and Extension (REE) Division. Among several other things, this should lead to continued and enhanced participation of ARS scientists on NRSP-8 Species Committees. Perhaps more important to poultry scientists, Colin reports to Dick Frahm that State Ag Experiment Station (SAES) Directors, to whom he's spoken, are enthusiastic about genome-related research, which may bode well for prospects of renewing NRSP-8.

SAVE THE CHICKENS

As reported previously, the Avian Genetics Resources Task Force (AGRTF), as convened by the University of California Genetic Resources Conservation Program and led by Mary Delany and Bob Taylor, has undertaken a major survey of the status of poultry genetic stocks and is preparing a comprehensive report on issues relevant to the conservation of avian germplasm. Draft section reports were submitted by October 25, and the goal is that the report will be completed by Jan. 15, 1997. The AGRTF previously received a 2 year grant from the USDA and has also submitted an application to the NSF Living Stocks Collection Program. Questions or comments can be sent to Jacqueline Pisenti at jmpisenti@ucdavis.edu.

SPEAKING OF WHICH: An International Speakers' Forum entitled "Canadian Farm Animal Genetic Resources at the Crossroads: Crisis or Opportunity? will be held on February 27-28, 1997 at Le Chateau Cartier, 1170 Aylmer Road, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada J9H 5E1. For more information contact Dr. S.K. Ho, Centre for Food and Animal Research, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0C6 or email cfcfagr@magi.com. (As most of you already know, CFAR is destroying and/or distributing its own long term poultry stocks in conjunction with the phase-out of the eminent poultry breeding research program there that will be greatly missed.

OTHER UPCOMING MEETINGS OF INTEREST

Gordon Research Conference on Quantitative Genetics and Biotechnology, Doubletree Hotel, Ventura, CA, February 9-14, 1997. Co-chairs: William D. Beavis and Gretel Dentine (dentine@macc.wisc.edu)

Molecular Biology Techniques Workshop, Food Animal Biotechnology Center, U. of Minnesota. Registration deadline: May 9, 1997; contact fabctr@maroon.tc.umn.edu or call (612) 624-2700; Fax: (612) 624-7284.

International Conference on Animal Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; June 11-14, 1997; contact Ning Li, phone 86 10 62633055 or 86 10 62632715, Fax: 86 10 62582332 or 86 10 62582128, email: ninglbau@public3.bta.net.cn

Poultry Science Association, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, August 4-8, 1997; contact: Poultry Science Assoc., 1111 North Dunlap Avenue, Savoy, IL 61874 or http://gallus.tamu.edu/psa/psa.html/

Transgenic Animals in Agriculture, Granlibakken Conference Center, Tahoe City, CA, August 24-27, 1997; see http://pubweb.ucdavis.edu/Documents/BIOTECH/biotech1.htm

International Course in QTL Detection and Marker-Assisted Seletion, Mitzpa Rachel Convention Center, Jerusalem, ISRAEL, August 24-Sept. 4, 1997 (dates tentative). Contact: Joel Weller at weller@agri.huji.ac.il

6th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, January 11-16, 1998. Contact: Dr. Laurie Piper at 61 67 73-3609, Fax: 61 67 73-3611, email: 6wcgalp@mendel.une.edu.au

MORE CONFERENCE NEWS

Allerton II: Genetic Analysis of Economically Important Traits in Livestock: (No Bull--et)

This meeting was held November 6-9, 1996 at the Allerton Conference Center near Champaign-Urbana, IL. Chairpersons were Harris Lewin, Larry Schook and Craig Beattie, with Harris taking on the special responsibility of local host. The focus of the meeting was on locating and using QTLs, now that workable maps are available. Among the highlights of the meeting, especially for poultry folk, was an excellent presentation by Martien Groenen describing the combined microsatellite generation, mapping, and QTL detection program going on at the U. of Wageningen with support from Euribred B.V. Another particularly valuable aspect of the meeting involved the participation of numerous experts in human, mouse, and plant genetics and biotechnology. Legal and bioinformatic aspects of genome research were also discussed. My own thumbnail summary of the meeting would be as follows: While very interesting and exciting progress is already being made in identifying and mapping animal QTL, the actual identification of the genetic mechanism(s) responsible for a QTL remains an extremely challenging task, even for those working in species (e.g., mouse) whose maps are far better developed than what is now available for poultry and other farm animals. Although several mechanisms for addressing this problem are being developed (improved mapping algorithms, use of multigenerational pedigrees and recombinant inbreds to increase recombination events and fine structure map, physical and comparative mapping techniques, candidate gene approaches, differential display, expressed sequence tags, GDRDA, etc.), NO SINGLE MAGIC BULLET has yet appeared to greatly simplify the process, other than good fortune (see the Holiday greeting as modified by Jossi Hillel). A reasonable prediction would be that we will be limited for some time to come to focusing on the isolation and identification of major QTL genes in specially designed families (particularly applicable to poultry), and only then going back to survey the allelic diversity and relevance of these genes in commercial populations.

1997 USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program

The Program Description and Application Kit can be accessed at http://www.reeusda.gov or by phone at 202-401-5048 or by email at psb@reeusda.gov. Of particular interest to our readers are the Improving Animal Growth and Development and Identifying Animal Genetic Mechanisms and Gene Mapping Programs, with a deadline of Feb. 15, 1997 and Sustaining Animal Health and Well-Being and Enhancing Animal Reproductive Efficiency Programs, deadline Jan. 15, 1997.

COORDINATION RESOURCES

REMINDER: CHICKEN MICROSATELLITE PRIMER MAPPING KITS: Comprehensive mapping kit #2 of fluorescently-labeled microsatellite primer pairs is now available. This kit contains another 124 primer pairs (beyond the 120 pairs already in Kit #1) which have been located on the East Lansing reference map. Information on this kit, along with updated microsatellite loci and map information for all published (and some unpublished) microsatellite loci are now posted under "Microsatellite Marker Information and Available Primer Kits" on our homepage at http://poultry.mph.msu.edu. (These tables can be downloaded directly to your computer through the FTP site of our Homepage.) Like Kit #1, kit #2 will be available free of charge to those involved in major mapping efforts. Email me (22314jbd@msu.edu) or Hans Cheng (hcheng@msu.edu) if you are interested. ONE CAVEAT: Those markers in this Kit developed by the Groenen lab (designated by "MCW") are the subject of patent applications by Euribred B.V. which financed the Groenen effort. Inquiries about the use of these primers for commercial purposes should be directed to Euribred as noted in the reference cited above. The kit is offered with the understanding that appropriate use of potentially patented material is the responsibility of the user and not of the Coordinators . A limited number of sets of Primer Kit #1 still remain, along with sets of our Population Tester Kit (9 highly polymorphic loci for strain identification and test experiments).

COMING SOON: CHICKEN CONSENSUS GENETIC MAP POSTER:

We will soon have poster size copies of the latest version of the Consensus Chicken Genetic Map printed. The Consensus Map, which aligns the present East Lansing and Compton Maps, has been derived by Nat Bumstead, Hans Cheng, and Lyman Crittenden as indicated in the last issue. Posters will be sent out early next year and will also be available at the San Diego PAG-V meeting.

Addresses:

Jerry Dodgson, Coord.
Dept. of Microbiology
Giltner Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
email: 22314jbd@msu.edu

Lyman Crittenden, Coordinator Emeritus.
Dept. of Microbiology
634 Emerson St.
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53715
email: crittend@itis.com

Hans Cheng, Co-Coord.
ADOL
USDA-ARS
3606 E. Mt. Hope Ave.
East Lansing, MI 48824
email: hcheng@msu.edu

Scott Eisensmith, Database Analyst
same MSU address as above
email: eisensmi@poultry.mph.msu.edu

Supported by Regional Research Funds, Hatch Act, to the National Research Service Program: NRSP-8.

National Animal Genome Research Program, Richard Frahm, Director, CSREES

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