THE CALLIPYGE GENE OF SHEEP

The callipyge locus is characterized by a novel form of nonmendelian i nheritance, referred to as polar overdominance. Acquiring a molecular understanding of this novel biological phenomenon will contribute to t he understanding of complex traits, including those in the human. The proposed strategy to clone the callipyge gene is one of positional can didate cloning. This strategy aims at exploiting (a) the available hum an transcript map, and (b) the remarkable conservation of genome organ ization amongst mammals, thereby allowing us to apply the advances of the Human Genome Initiative to the ovine species.