Comparative mapping of 18 equine type I genes assigned by somatic cell hybrid analysis

Polymerase chain reaction primers designed from horse cDNA sequences and fr om consensus sequences highly conserved in mammalian species were used to a mplify markers for synteny mapping 18 equine type I genes. These markers we re used to screen a horse-mouse somatic cell hybrid panel (UCDavis SCH). Fo urteen primer sets amplified horse-specific fragments, while restriction en zyme digests of PCR products were used to distinguish the fragments amplifi ed from horse and mouse with four primer sets. Synteny assignments were mad e based on correlation values between each marker tested and other markers in the UCDavis SCH panel database. The 18 horse genes were assigned to prev iously established synteny groups. Synteny mapping of two genes previously mapped in the horse by FISH was used to anchor two UCD synteny groups to ho rse chromosomes. Previous chromosome assignments of three equine loci by FI SH were confirmed. Comparative mapping analysis based on published human-ho rse Zoo-FISH data and the synteny mapping of 14 horse genes confirmed the p hysical assignment of 12 synteny groups to the respective horse chromosomes and was used to infer the physical location of one synteny group.