Marker ID Pl_6_E/F_6 Pl_5_G/H_5 Pl_0.4_A/B_1 Pl_4_B_7/8 Pl_4_B_9/10 Pl_10_C/D_4 Pl_6_E/F_11 Pl_9_A/B_10 Pl_10_C/D_9 Pl_9_C/D_9 Pl_8_C/D_9 Pl_9_C/D_4 Pl_6_C/D_5 BMC Genomics 2004, 5:54 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/5/54 Table 9: Presumptive human chromosome 17 loci that were mapped in Ambystoma Primersa Diagnosisb LGc Symbold RefSeq IDe E-valuef F-GAAAACCTGCTCAGCATTAGTGT R-TCTATTACCATAGCATTAATTGGCAG F-CTATTTCATCTGAGTACCGTTGAATG R-TAATGTAGAACTAAATGGCATCCTTC E-CCATGGTGCAGGAAGAGAGCCTATAT F-GTCTCATTATCCGCAAACCTGT R-ATTCTCATCCTCCTCATCCACGAC F-CCTAGAACATTACCAAAACAGACTCA R-AATGAAGAAGTATTGCATGTGAGAAC F-GAACTTGTTGGCAGGTTTCTCTT R-CTAGTGATAGGTTGGACATACCAGAG F-CTCCACTATTTAAAGGACATGCTACA R-TTAATATAGCACAACATTGCCTCATT E-TGCTACATTAATGTAATAAACGGCATCATC F-AAGAGAAGTTCCTAGATGAGTTGGAG R-TGAAGAGAGAACTCAAAGTGTCTGAT E-TCATGTTTTGCTCTGCTGTGCAGT F-TGATAGTTTCTGGATTAAGACGAGTG R-CTTAGAGCCATTGTTACAAGATGTTC E-GTGATCTAGTGGGATCAAACCCTAAAGACC F-AAAGTGCCAAGAAGGAGATTAACTT R-GAGCTCAGAAAACAAGGCAGTAAC E-AAATGGATCTACGAGTAGACCTTGACCC F-GAGTCTCCTTTAGGATTGACGTATCT R-GCTATGTGAGCAGAGATAAAAGTCAG E-GTTACAGCATCAGTGGGATGTGGTATGT F-AGGATACCAACCTCTGTGCTATACAT R-TAAATGTATTTACAAACCGAAAGCAA E-CGTGGCGAGCGTGCCTAGT F-GTGGTTATTTGTAACATTTCGTTGAC R-AATTACATTTGGGCTTCTCAATTTAC E-TTTTTAAACGCGTAAAAATGTTAACAGA F-CCGTAAATGTTTCTAAATGACAGTTG R-GGAAAGAAAGTACAATCAAGTCCTTC E-GATTGAAAACTGGAACCGAAAGAAGATAAA ASA PE (A) SP RD (Dpn II) RD (AciI) PE (A) PE (A) PE (T) PE (T) PE (T) PE (C) PE (A) PE (G) ul 23 1 1 1 1 1 1 9 23 15 8 2 PFN1 NP_005013 CGI-125 NP_057144 RPL19 KRT10 KRT17 SUI1 NP_000972 NP_061889 NP_000413 NP_005792 HSPC009 NP_054738 FLJ13855 NP_075567 NME1 NP_000260 FLJ20345 NP_060247 H3F3B NP_005315 SFRS2 NP_003007 ACTG1 NP_001605 E-34 E-56 E-67 E-17 E-146 E-48 E-26 E-15 E-71 E-17 E-66 E-40 0 aSequences are 5' amplification primers, 3' amplification primers, or primer extension probes, and are preceded by F-, R-, and E- respectively. bGenotyping methods are abbreviated: allele specific amplification (ASA), size polymorphism (SP), restriction digestion (RD), primer extension (PE). Diagnostic restriction enzymes and diagnostic extension bases are provided in parentheses. cAmbystoma linkage group ID. "ul" designates markers that are unlinked. dOfficial gene symbols as defined by the Human Genome Organization Gene Nomenclature Committee http:// www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/nomenclature/. eBest BLASTX hit (highest e-value) from the human RefSeq database using the contig from which each marker was designed as a query sequence. fHighest E-value statistic obtained by searching contigs, from which EST markers were designed, against the human RefSeq database. metamorphosis will almost certainly escalate as genome resources and other molecular and cellular approaches become widely available. Among the genomic resources currently under development (see [41]) are a comparative genome map, which will allow mapping of candidate genes, QTL, and comparative anchors for cross-referenc- ing the salamander genome to fully sequenced vertebrate models. In closing, we reiterate a second benefit to resource development in Ambystoma. Genome resources in Ambystoma can be extended to multiple, closely related species to explore the molecular basis of natural, pheno- typic variation. Such extensions can better inform our understanding of ambystomatid biodiversity in nature and draw attention to the need for conserving such natu- ralistic systems. Several paedomorphic species, including A. mexicanum, are on the brink of extinction. We can think of no better investment than one that simultaneously enhances research in all areas of biology and draws atten- tion to the conservation needs of model organisms in their natural habitats. Conclusions Approximately 40,000 cDNA sequences were isolated from a variety of tissues to develop expressed sequence Page 14 of 17 (page number not for citation purposes)