High-throughput scanning of the rat genome using interspersed repetitive sequence-PCR markers

We report the establishment of a hybridization-based marker system for the rat genome based on the PCR amplification of interspersed repetitive sequen ces (IRS). Overall, 351 IRS markers were mapped within the rat genome. The IRS marker panel consists of 210 nonpolymorphic and 141 polymorphic markers that were screened for presence/absence polymorphism patterns in 38 differ ent rat strains and substrains that are commonly used in biomedical researc h. The IRS marker panel was demonstrated to be useful for rapid genome scre ening in experimental rat crosses and high-throughput characterization of l arge-insert genomic library clones. Information on corresponding YAC clones is made available for this IRS marker set distributed over the whole rat g enome. The two existing rat radiation hybrid maps were integrated by placin g the IRS markers in both maps. The genetic and physical mapping data prese nted provide substantial information for ongoing positional cloning project s in the rat. (C) 2000 Academic Press.