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Cows as genetic models
Nature Methods
A cost-effective strategy to discover over 60,000 markers in the cattle genome is published online this week in Nature Methods. These markers will help scientists to examine the genetic diversity among different breeds, to discover new genes and to dissect the genetic underpinnings of complex diseases in cattle.
A comprehensive map of genome-wide genetic markers is the prerequisite of all these goals. Curtis Van Tassell and colleagues present a quick and cheap method to find and validate over 60,000 of these markers, known to the experts as single-nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs (pronounced Snips).
Aside from its value for bovine genetics, this map will also enhance the cow's value as a genetic model system. Cows are evolutionary distinct from such popular model organisms as rodents and primates, and it will be interesting to compare their genetic makeup to that of humans. The strategy of Van Tassell to identify these markers can also be applied to any organisms with at least a partially sequenced genome.
This method will allow researchers to control the activity of almost any neuron by simply treating it with the chemical and shining light on the cell.
Author contacts:
Curtis Van Tassell (United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, USA)
Tel: +1 301 504 6501; E-mail: curtvt@anri.barc.usda.gov
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