Methods To Screen Genomes And Analyze Evolution Featured In Cold Spring Harbor Protocols

Main Category: Genetics
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry;  Blood / Hematology;  Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Article Date: 02 Apr 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Identifying genes that are important in specific tissues or processes in the mouse used to be a monumental task. New technologies and strategies have simplified this search, making it effective for even the smallest laboratories. This month's issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org/TOCs/toc4_08.dtl) highlights a method for screening the mouse genome using ENU mutagenesis. The method, "Mouse Mutagenesis Using N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)," was submitted by Monica Justice and colleagues from the Baylor College of Medicine (http://www.bcm.edu/db/db_fac-justice.html). In her laboratory, Justice uses this "forward genetics" method to identify genes that may play a role in human disease. In particular, Justice's lab focuses on the process of hematopoiesis, the development of blood cells. Mutations in these genes can lead to leukemias or lymphomas. The method is freely accessible on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org/cgi/content/full/2008/5/pdb.prot4985).

The second featured protocol for April is a guide for selecting the proper method for analyzing evolutionary relationships between genes. In "Choosing a Method for Phylogenetic Prediction," David Mount from the University of Arizona (http://bmcb.biology.arizona.edu/mount.html) provides a step by step process to determine which of the major methods one should use for predicting "phylogeny", the relatedness among gene sequences. The method is freely accessible on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org/cgi/content/full/2008/5/pdb.ip49).

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About Cold Spring Harbor Protocols: Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org/) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal of methods used in a wide range of biology laboratories. It is structured to be highly interactive, with each protocol cross-linked to related methods, descriptive information panels, and illustrative material to maximize the total information available to investigators. Each protocol is clearly presented and designed for easy use at the bench - complete with reagents, equipment, and recipe lists. Life science researchers can access the entire collection via institutional site licenses, and can add their suggestions and comments to further refine the techniques.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media, located on Long Island, New York. Since 1933, it has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. It is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit http://www.cshl.org/.

Source: David Crotty
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

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