BMC Genomics 2004, 5:65 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/5/65 preparations, probe labeling and purification, fluores- cence in situ hybridization, and microscopy. MB per- formed all the cytogenetic analysis to generate detailed probe ordering. MB and RT completed the merging of RH and FISH data, and prepared the drawing of Figure 2 for both the manuscript and web sites. MB also wrote and edited relevant sections of the manuscript. CH did the sta- tistical analysis for the localization of the 4249 markers on the radiation hybrid map and the integration of the FISH and RH maps. In addition, CH constructed Figure 1 (paper and web sites) and Table 1 and implemented the accompanying web site. GGM and EFK organized and oversaw the BAC-end sequencing, including data produc- tion and analysis, with CMF overseeing the ultimate effort at TIGR. Markers were RH-mapped in Rennes, France by EC and GE, and in Seattle, Washington, USA by HGP, GB, LS, and TDL. The Seattle data were checked, duplicated, data-entered and generally overseen by TDL. TDL also drafted portions of the methods section of the manu- script. RG computed the marker sequences using BLAST software against the human sequence to identify ortholo- goussequences and synteny conservation. RG also drew some of the chromosomes for Figures 1 (web sites). Efforts in Rennes, France were overseen by CA and FG, including analysis, quality control, supervision, and por- tions of manuscript production. Efforts in Seattle, Wash- ington, USA were overseen by EAO including experimental design, quality control, supervision, and portions of manuscript production. Individual and joint grants funding this work were written by and awarded to EAO, MB, and FG. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Links FISH Information: breen_matthew.htm http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/mbs/ RH Map Information: http://www-recomgen.univ- rennes1.fr/doggy.html and http://www.fhcrc.org/science/ dog_genome/dog.html. Acknowledgements We thank the American Kennel Club-Canine Health Foundation for their long-term support and acknowledge grants AKC-CHF-2214 (M.B.) and AKC-CHF 2215 (E.A.O. and F.G.) We also acknowledge support from U.S. Army grant DAAD19-01-1-0658 (E.A.O. and F.G.) and NIH R01CA-92167 (E.A.O, E.K. and F.G.). In addition, E.A.O is supported by K05 CA90754 and is the recipient of a Burroughs Wellcome Award in Functional Genomics. R.G. is partly supported by an AKC and CNRS fellowship. References 1. Guyon R, Lorentzen TD, Hitte C, Kim L, Cadieu E, Parker HG, Qui- gnon P, Lowe JK, Renier C, Gelfenbeyn B, et al.: A 1 Mb resolution radiation hybrid map of the canine genome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2003, 100:5296-5301. 2. 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