Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference

W15

PROSPECTS FOR PHYSICAL MAPPING OF SALMONID CHROMOSOMES

Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201

Physical mapping of mammalian chromosomes has been accomplished using a number of techniques including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), somatic cell hybrids,radiation hybrids, and flow sorted chromosomes. Current and proposed research involving application of these techniques to salmonid chromosomes will be reviewed. Cosmid libraries are available for a few species and a bacterial artificial chromosome library of large insert clones suitable for mapping single copy genes is being prepared for rainbow trout. These large clones should be useful for linking the genetic and physical maps. Although ancestral autotetraploidy of salmonids poses problems for mapping, we expect that identification of large blocks of syntenic genes among salmonid species and other fishes including zebrafish will allow rapid progress to be made in the near future.