An Autosomal Genetic Linkage Map of the Chicken

Abstract

We have developed an autosomal genetic linkage map of the chicken genome using a subpanel of 52 DNAs from a previously described reference backcross mapping population. The population derived from a cross of an inbred Red Jungle Fowl male and a highly inbred White Leghorn female. The backcross subpanel used was made up of offspring of a single F1 male with four White Leghorn females. Ninety-eight markers consisting of classical and erythrocyte antigen genes, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, random amplified polymorphic DNA, and chicken CR1 repeat-element polymorphisms were typed. Seventy-two of these markers were resolved into 19 linkage groups. Four of the linkage groups were assigned to chromosomes 1, 4, and 17. Four linkage groups were associated with linkage groups published earlier. Linkages within approximately 27 cM can be detected with a lod score of 3 with the panel used. The preliminary map contains approximately 590 cM within the linkage groups, and approximately 70% of the randomly selected markers fell in one of the groups; however, a considerable portion of the genome may remain outside of the existing linkage groups. These markers greatly expand the existing linkage map of the chicken genome.

AFLP linkage map of the Japanese quail Coturnix japonica

“…This is in agreement with recent cytological maps of lampbrush chromosomes in the Japanese quail [33]. This is also comparable to the first estimates of the chicken genome genetic length [19]. However, a greater genetic length can be expected for the quail since the more recent consensus linkage map in the chicken spans ∼ 3800 cM [8].…”

Cosmid-derived markers anchoring the bovine genetic map to the physical map

“…It will be interesting to see the result for sheep, when the linkage map is more complete (Crawford et al 1995). In chicken the available maps are incomplete (Bumstead and Palyga 1992;Levin et al 1994); however, the 33 known linkage groups in the chicken seem to cover as much as 3200 cM, and possibly more, despite the genome being 1 x 109 bp, about one-third the size of the mammalian species mentioned above. Indeed, there is evidence that the rate of genetic recombination might be three times higher in chicken than in human.…”

“…Correspondence to: L. Ferretti at Pavia several domesticated animal species (Bumstead and Palyga 1992;Fries et al 1993;Barendse et al 1994;Bishop et al 1994;Levin et al 1994;Archibald et al 1995;Crawford et al 1995), the bovine genome map being the most extensive, ranking fourth after the maps available for human, mouse, and rat. An 0pdated bovine linkage map currently comprises almost 800 markers, including 150 type I markers or genes (O'Brien et al 1993), and is predominantly made up of type IISTS markers (W. Barendse, personal communication).…”

Precision of distances and ordering of microsatellite markers in consensus linkage maps of chromosomes 1, 3 and 4 from two reciprocal chicken populations using bootstrap sampling

“…To date, three linkage maps have been constructed using molecular markers (RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, and SSR) from three reference chicken populations: Compton (Bumstead and Palyga, 1992), East Lansing (Levin et al, 1994) and Wageningen (Groenen et al, 1998). Groenen et al (2000) integrated these three maps into a chicken consensus linkage map, covering 3800 cM, and Schmid et al (2005) updated this map, covering 4200 cM.…”