Cytogenetic assignment of 29 functional genes to chicken microchromosomes by FISH

We assigned 29 functional genes to chicken microchromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Two linkage groups in the genetic linkage ma p of the East Lansing breed were identified in this study by localizing the genes AGRN and H2FA to microchromosomes. The frequency of the genes mapped on 30 pairs of microchromosomes, which ac-count for roughly 30 % of the wh ole chicken genome, was about 40 % of the 73 genes randomly mapped in our l aboratory. This result confirms the important role of microchromosomes for avian genome function and supports the likelihood of a high gene density on avian microchromosomes. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.