A human genome map of comparative anchor tagged sequences. (25/680)

Effective comparative mapping inference utilizing developing gene maps of animal species requires the inclusion of anchored reference loci that are homologous to genes mapped in the more "gene-dense" mouse and human maps. Nominated anchor loci, termed comparative anchor tagged sequences (CATS), have been ordered in the mouse linkage map, but due to the dearth of common polymorphisms among human coding genes have not been well represented in human linkage maps. We present here an ordered framework map of 314 comparative anchor markers in humans based on mapping analysis in the Genebridge 4 panel of radiation hybrid cell lines, plus empirically optimized CATS PCR primers which detect these markers. The ordering of these homologous gene markers in human and mouse maps provides a framework for comparative gene mapping of representative mammalian species.  (+info)

Chromosomal localization of ESTs obtained from human fetal liver via BAC-mediated FISH mapping. (26/680)

A total of 55 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) randomly chosen from our collection of fetal liver ESTs were mapped to chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) mapping techniques. To generate FISH mapping probes, the genomic DNAs for each EST were selected by screening an arrayed human bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. In total, 73 BACs were used for mapping of the 55 ESTs. Among them, 70 BACs representing 52 ESTs unequivocally mapped to single chromosomal regions. The remaining 3 BACs representing 3 ESTs were localized to multiple regions, suggesting that BACs may have very low chimerism. Our mapping results were compared with EST mapping databases deposited in NCBI. Thirty-six of 55 ESTs corresponded to previously mapped positions of ESTs, 2 ESTs mapped to different positions from previously determined ones, and it was found that 17 ESTs have been mapped on new locations from this study. These mapping data may be used for completing the framework of the human physical map, and also for providing a good starting point for searching disease-related genes.  (+info)

Chromosome breakage hotspots and delineation of the critical region for the 9p-deletion syndrome. (27/680)

The clinical features of the 9p-deletion syndrome include dysmorphic facial features (trigonocephaly, midface hypoplasia, upward-slanting palpebral fissures, and a long philtrum) and mental retardation. The majority of these patients appear to have similar cytogenetic breakpoints in 9p22, but some cases show phenotypic heterogeneity. To define the breakpoints of the deleted chromosomes, we studied 24 patients with a deletion of 9p, by high-resolution cytogenetics, FISH with 19 YACs, and PCR using 25 different sequence-tagged sites. Of 10 different breakpoints identified, 9 were localized within an approximately 5-Mb region, in 9p22-p23, that encompasses the interval between D9S1869 (telomeric) and D9S162 (centromeric). Eight unrelated patients had a breakpoint (group 1) in the same interval, between D9S274 (948h1) and D9S285 (767f2), suggesting a chromosome-breakage hotspot. Among 12 patients, seven different breakpoints (groups 3-9) were localized to a 2-Mb genomic region between D9S1709 and D9S162, which identified a breakpoint-cluster region. The critical region for the 9p-deletion syndrome maps to a 4-6-Mb region in 9p22-p23. The results from this study have provided insight into both the heterogeneous nature of the breakage in this deletion syndrome and the resultant phenotype-karyotype correlations.  (+info)

A resource of mapped human bacterial artificial chromosome clones. (28/680)

To date, despite the increasing number of genomic tools, there is no repository of ordered human BAC clones that covers entire chromosomes. This project presents a resource of mapped large DNA fragments that span eight human chromosomes at approximately 1-Mb resolution. These DNA fragments are bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones anchored to sequence tagged site (STS) markers. This clone collection, which currently contains 759 mapped clones, is useful in a wide range of applications from microarray-based gene mapping to identification of chromosomal mutations. In addition to the clones themselves, we describe a database, GenMapDB (http://genomics.med.upenn.edu/genmapdb), that contains information about each clone in our collection.  (+info)

Human genome anatomy: BACs integrating the genetic and cytogenetic maps for bridging genome and biomedicine. (29/680)

Human genome sequencing is accelerating rapidly. Multiple genome maps link this sequence to problems in biology and clinical medicine. Because each map represents a different aspect of the structure, content, and behavior of human chromosomes, these fundamental properties must be integrated with the genome to understand disease genes, cancer instability, and human evolution. Cytogenetic maps use 400-850 visible band landmarks and are the primary means for defining prenatal defects and novel cancer breakpoints, thereby providing simultaneous examination of the entire genome. Recent genetic, physical, and transcript maps use PCR-based landmarks called sequence-tagged sites (STSs). We have integrated these genome maps by anchoring the human cytogenetic to the STS-based genetic and physical maps with 1021 STS-BAC pairs at an average spacing of approximately 1 per 3 Mb. These integration points are represented by 872 unique STSs, including 642 polymorphic markers and 957 bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), each of which was localized on high resolution fluorescent banded chromosomes. These BACs constitute a resource that bridges map levels and provides the tools to seamlessly translate questions raised by genomic change seen at the chromosomal level into answers based at the molecular level. We show how the BACs provide molecular links for understanding human genomic duplications, meiosis, and evolution, as well as reagents for conducting genome-wide prenatal diagnosis at the molecular level and for detecting gene candidates associated with novel cancer breakpoints.  (+info)

N-terminal chimeric constructs improve the expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase in yeast. (30/680)

Wild-type and chimeric constructs comprising rabbit sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase and the N-terminal cytoplasmic portion of yeast plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase were expressed in yeast under control of a heat-shock regulated promoter. The wild-type ATPase was found predominantly in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes. Addition of the first 88 residues of H(+)-ATPase to the Ca(2+)-ATPase N-terminal end promoted a marked shift in the localization of chimeric H(+)/Ca(2+)-ATPase which accumulated in a light membrane fraction associated with yeast smooth ER. Furthermore, there was a three-fold increase in the overall level of expression of chimeric H(+)/Ca(2+)-ATPase. Similar results were obtained for a chimeric Ca(2+)-ATPase containing a hexahistidine sequence added to its N-terminal end. Both H(+)/Ca(2+)-ATPase and 6xHis-Ca(2+)-ATPase were functional as demonstrated by their ability to form a phosphorylated intermediate and undergo fast turnover. Conversely, a replacement chimera in which the N-terminal end of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase was replaced by the corresponding segment of H(+)-ATPase was not stably expressed in yeast membranes. These results indicate that the N-terminal segment of Ca(2+)-ATPase plays an important role in enzyme assembly and contains structural determinants necessary for ER retention of the ATPase.  (+info)

A high-resolution physical map of human chromosome 21p using yeast artificial chromosomes. (31/680)

The short arm of human chromosome 21 (21p) contains many different types of repetitive sequences and is highly homologous to the short arms of other acrocentric chromosomes. Owing to its repetitive nature and the lack of chromosome 21p-specific molecular markers, most physical maps of chromosome 21 exclude this region. We constructed a physical map of chromosome 21p using sequence tagged site (STS) content mapping of yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs). To this end, 39 STSs located on the short arm or near the centromere of chromosome 21 were constructed, including four polymorphic simple tandem repeats (STRs) and two expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Thirty YACs were selected from the St. Louis YAC library, the chromosome 21-enriched ICRF YAC library, and the CEPH YAC and megaYAC libraries. These were assembled in a YAC contig map ranging from the centromere to the rDNA gene cluster at 21p12. The total size of the region covered by YACs is estimated between 2.9 and 5 Mb. The integrity of the YAC contig was confirmed by restriction enzyme fingerprinting and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). One gap with an estimated size of 400 kb remained near the telomeric end of the contig. This YAC contig map of the short arm of human chromosome 21 constitutes a basic framework for further structural and functional studies of chromosome 21p.  (+info)

GenBank. (32/680)

The GenBank((R))sequence database incorporates publicly available DNA sequences of >55 000 different organisms, primarily through direct submission of sequence data from individual laboratories and large-scale sequencing projects. Most submissions are made using the BankIt (Web) or Sequin programs and accession numbers are assigned by GenBank staff upon receipt. Data exchange with the EMBL Data Library and the DNA Data Bank of Japan helps ensure comprehensive worldwide coverage. GenBank data is accessible through NCBI's integrated retrieval system, Entrez, which integrates data from the major DNA and protein sequence databases along with taxonomy, genome, mapping and protein structure information, plus the biomedical literature via PubMed. Sequence similarity searching is provided by the BLAST family of programs. Complete bimonthly releases and daily updates of the GenBank database are available by FTP. NCBI also offers a wide range of WWW retrieval and analysis services based on GenBank data. The GenBank database and related resources are freely accessible via the NCBI home page at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  (+info)