We present the latest comprehensive radiation hybrid (RH) map of the canine genome composed of 3270 markers including 1596 microsatellite-based markers, 900 cloned gene sequences and Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), 668 canine-specific Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)-ends and 106 Sequence-Tagged Sites (STS). The map was constructed using the RHDF5000-2 whole-genome radiation hybrid panel and computed using the MULTIMAP and TSP/CONCORDE programs. The 3270 markers map to 3021 unique positions and define an average inter-marker distance corresponding to 1 Megabase (Mb). We also define a minimal screening set (MSS-2) of 325 highly informative well-spaced markers, to be used in the initiation of genome-wide scans for tracking traits of interest. The well-defined synteny between the dog and human genomes, established in part as a function of this work by the identification of 85 conserved fragments, will allow follow-up of initial findings of linkage by selection of candidate genes from the human genome sequence. This work continues to define the canine system as the method of choice in the pursuit of the genes causing mammalian variation and disease.

Using MULTIMAP and TSP/CONCORDE programs together for drawing radiation hybrid maps is a new method for us. To read more about this method, see the following reference:

• Hitte C., Lorentzen T.D., Guyon R., Kim L., Cadieu E., Parker H.G., Quignon P., Lowe J.K., Gelfenbeyn B., Andre C., Ostrander E.A. and Galibert F. (2003). Comparison of the MultiMap and TSP/CONCORDE Packages for Constructing Radiation Hybrid Maps. Journal of Heredity 94(1): 9-13

View the Markers and PCR conditions from this map here

View the Minimal Screening Set 2 here