A large group of poultry geneticists joined other animal and plant geneticists (over 850, in all) in San Diego for PAG-V. Most of those attending the NC-168 meeting (more below) were able to stay over for at least part of PAG-V, which ran from Sunday through Thursday. Despite the uncharacteristically cold and rainy weather, participants enjoyed the meeting and benefitted from sharing technologies and comparing strategies with the wider agricultural genomics community. Among the highlights were descriptions of radiation hybrid, single molecule restriction mapping and sequencing technologies by David Cox, David Schwartz and Glen Evans (the latter proposing to sequence the biosphere, only slightly tongue-in-cheek). QTL mapping was discussed by many speakers including Steve Tanksley, Chris Haley, Ariel Darvasi, Jay Hetzel, and Brian Kirkpatrick. Representing poultry, Martien Groenen gave an excellent overview of genome mapping and detection of both QTL and single gene traits being done at Wageningen on the Euribred population. Comparative genomics were covered by Andrew Paterson, Jeff Bennetzen, and Leif Andersson, among others, and the Gene and Chromosome Organization session included particularly interesting talks by Ann Gibbins and Jenny Graves. If there can be a common thread in such a large and diverse meeting, my personal impression was that, while exciting QTL studies are well underway, progress is still constrained by the need to improve marker density and physical mapping resources for agricultural genomes. A secondary theme would be that comparative genomics is likely to be even more useful than originally anticipated. The poster sessions at PAG-V, which were sponsored by various genetics-related industries and held jointly with their booths showing off new equipment and technologies, were particularly interesting. Abstracts for posters and talks can be accessed at http://prove.nalusda.gov:8000/otherdocs/pg/pg5/allabstracts.html. Several good workshops were also held as part of PAG-V, including the NRSP-8 business meeting and the NC-168 meeting, which will be described further below.

The organizing committee is already well along in planning next year's PAG-VI. Hans Cheng recently distributed a request for input on speakers to be invited through the angenmap mail list. Next year's meeting will run in similar fashion, with the hoped-for addition of new species groups and a luncheon(s) with industry representatives, as a mechanism to get more input and advice from them. Hotel accomodations for PAG-VI next January will be limited by the fact that the Superbowl will follow us into San Diego on the weekend after the meeting. Those who wish to attend will need to get their application forms in promptly, once these have been distributed later in the year. Travel assistance from Coordination funds will again be available to help those who need it.

NC-168 MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS: SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF 1996

Sara Sunden, Editor of the NAGRP Newsletter, asked for a few bullet-type highlights of poultry genome mapping for last year. Below are some items I suggested. My apologies to those whose work I overlooked.

Alignment of the East Lansing (EL) and Compton (C) reference maps using over 130 common framework markers to generate a consensus map with over 1000 total markers, over 450 of which are microsatellites.

Assignment of all macrochromosomes, except number 6, to linkage groups on the consensus map.

Nearly 650 markers on the EL reference panel covering over 2800 cM on 39 linkage groups.

Placement of over 320 microsatellite markers on the EL reference panel such that about 90% of the genome is within 20 cM of a microsatellite.

Groenen and co-workers' generation of a resource population with traits measured through the F3 and typing of 400 markers on 200 of the F2 and 260 markers on 480 F2 birds to produce a fine structure genetic linkage map that also aids in uniting the EL and C reference maps.

Construction of a chicken YAC library by Bumstead and colleagues, and two chicken BAC libraries by Gibbins and Zimmer and by Auffray and collegues.

Generation of a resource population segregating for non-MHC genetic susceptibility to MDV by Cheng and colleagues with localization of QTL for susceptibility to 8 different intervals.

Development of several chromosome-specific libraries and chromosome paints by Ponce de Leon and colleagues.

McQueen et al. presented evidence that chicken microchromosomes have unusually high gene density, perhaps as high or higher than that yet observed in any vertebrate.

Over 32 laboratories are using one or more of the three fluorescent microsatellite primer kits now available from the Coordination effort.

Mapping of anchor loci by several groups has demonstrated surprisingly long conserved syntenic regions between the chicken and mammalian genomes.

OTHER NAGRP NEWS

LESS THAN 270 DAYS UNTIL THE RENEWAL DEADLINE FOR NRSP-8! The NRSP-8 National Animal Genome Research Program renewal application will be due late this year. A writing committee has been formed, consisting of the Technical Committee Chairperson and Secretary (H. Cheng and D. Pomp), Species Technical Committee Chairpersons (A. Ponce de Leon, N. Cockett, A. Clutter, A. Bowling, A. Alcivar-Warren) and Species Coordinators (J. Womack, M. Rothschild, N. Cockett, E. Bailey and J. Dodgson). The draft objectives are:

Objective 1: Develop high resolution comparative genome maps aligned across species that link the maps of agricultural animals to those of the human and mouse.

Objective 2: Increase the marker density of existing linkage maps to enhance their utility in QTL mapping and integrate them with complete physical maps of chromosomes.

Objective 3: Expand the development and usage of internationally shared species genome databases and provide other common resources to promote cooperation and avoid duplication of efforts.

Many details remain to be worked out, but at present we hope to request continuation of Coordination funding through NRSP-8 at approximately existing levels, except that in the future this would be spread over equine and aquaculture initiatives in addition to poultry, cattle, swine and sheep. A new round of competition for Species Coordinators would take place. Suggestions on any aspects of the NRSP-8 renewal would be welcomed by the writing committee.

Equine Genome Mapping:

The Equine Genome Mapping addendum to NRSP-8 (referred to in the last newsletter) has been approved, so we now officially have been joined by this new Species Subcommittee with Ann Bowling as Chairperson and Earnie Bailey as Coordinator. As noted above, we also expect an Aquaculture Subcommittee to be part of the NAGRP in the proposed NRSP-8 renewal application. This group is being led by Acacia Alcivar-Warren. Both the Equine and Aquaculture groups organized excellent and well-attended Workshops at the recent PAG-V meeting.

Industrial Support.

Many thanks to Alan Emsley, industrial representative to the Poultry Species Subcommittee for updating participants at the Poultry Breeders Association on developments in both the NAGRP and NC-168. Conveniently, the PBA meeting occurred shortly after PAG-V/NC-168/NRSP-8, so Alan was able to distribute the latest news. In addition, Alan urged PBA members to participate in setting research priorities with the involved scientists and to speak out to Congressional representatives (and/or other government officials) on the importance of continued support for animal genetics research and germplasm preservation.

On the move.

For those few who haven't yet heard through the grapevine, Abel Ponce de Leon will be relocating this summer from the University of Massachusetts to become the new Chairperson of the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Congratulations Abel! Better make sure your cold-hardiness genes are working.

UPCOMING MEETINGS OF INTEREST

Biotechnologies of Animal Disease Resistance Symposium, sponsored by the Food Animal Biotechnology Center, U. of Minnesota, June 2-3, 1997, St. Paul Hotel, St. Paul, MN. Contact fabctr@maroon.tc.umn.edu or call (612) 624-2700; Fax: (612) 624-7284.

From Genes to Proteins, June 9-10, 1997, and/or Bioinformatics and Genome Research, June 11-12, 1997, both at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA. Sponsored by Cambridge Healthtech Institute, 1037 Chestnut St., Newton Upper Falls, MA 02164; tel: 617-630-1300; fax: 617-630-1325; http://www.healthtech.com/conferences/; email: chi@healthtech.com.

Poultry Science Association annual mtg., U. of Georgia, Athens, GA, August 4- 8, 1997; contact: PSA., 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

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

RESOURCES AVAILABLE

CHICKEN CONSENSUS GENETIC MAP POSTER:

Many of you should have received a poster size copy of the latest version of the Consensus Chicken Genetic Map. The Consensus Map, which aligns the present East Lansing and Compton Maps, was derived by Nat Bumstead, Hans Cheng, and Lyman Crittenden. Hans showed copies of the poster at the recent San Diego PAG- V meeting, and we tried to send a copy to as many interested parties as possible (and will post it on our Homepage, once we get a few technical glitches sorted out). If you'd like a copy but didn't get one (or would like additional copies), please email Hans at the address given below.

cDNA LIBRARIES: THANKS ANN!

Ann Gibbins reported at NC-168 that one of her students has produced a group of high quality chicken cDNA libraries from different stages of early development of the chicken embryo (up to 72 hours of incubation). She has graciously volunteered to make them available to other researchers. If interested, contact her at the Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1 or at agibbins@aps.uoguelph.ca

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