Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference

W6

THE ROLE AND SCOPE OF COMPARATIVE MAPPING IN ANIMAL GENOME PROJECTS

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843

The role of comparative mapping in animal genome research is clearly established for the mammalian species. The map-rich genomes of humans and mice provide a rich source of candidate genes for mapped economic traits in map-poor species such as cattle, sheep, and pigs. The value of this resource is increasing with the production of high-resolution ordered comparative maps that are now possible with the use of radiation hybrid panels. It remains unclear whether the scope of comparative mapping can be extended from mammals to aquatic species but some conserved syntenic segments have been identified in mammals and fish. Map-rich genomes of zebra fish and fugu are probably more likely to provide candiate genes for economic traits in cultured fish species than are mice and humans. Lobster and shrimp genetics, on the other hand, may have to look to drosophila for a prototypic arthropod genome. While the scope of comparative mapping is still an open question, it will undoubtedly play a role in aquaculture genomics. The philosophical and methodological approaches that have facilitated mammalian comparative mapping should be considered and employed where applicable.