COMPARATIVE GENE-MAPPING IN THE DOMESTIC CAT (FELIS-CATUS)

The genetic map of the domestic cat has been developed as a model for studying both feline analogues of human genetic disease and comparativ e genome organization of mammals. We present here the results of synte nic mapping of 35 genes based upon concordant occurrence of feline gen e homologues with feline chromosomes and previously mapped loci in a p anel of 41 rodent x cat somatic cell hybrids, These somatic cell hybri ds retain rodent chromosomes and segregate feline chromosomes, but in different combinations in each hybrid cell line, Thirty-three of the 3 5 new locus assignments extend and reaffirm conserved chromosome segme nt homologies between the human and cat genomes previously recognized by comparative mapping and zoo-FISH. These results demonstrate the ext ensive syntenic conservation between the human and feline genomes and extend the feline gene map to include 105 assigned loci.