A PHYSICAL MAP OF 30,000 HUMAN GENES

A map of 30,181 human gene-based markers was assembled and integrated with the current genetic map by radiation hybrid mapping. The new gene map contains nearly twice as many genes as the previous release, incl udes most genes that encode proteins of known function, and is twofold to threefold more accurate than the previous version. A redesigned, m ore informative and functional World Wide Web site (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.g ov/genemap) provides the mapping information and associated data and a nnotations. This resource constitutes an important infrastructure and tool for the study of complex genetic traits, the positional cloning o f disease genes, the cross-referencing of mammalian genomes, and valid ated human transcribed sequences for Large-scale studies of gene expre ssion.