- Gene nomenclature
Gene nomenclature is the scientific naming of
genes , the units of heredity in living organisms. An international committee published recommendations for genetic symbols and nomenclature in 1957. [Report of the International Committee on Genetic Symbols and Nomenclature (1957). "Union of International Sci Biol Ser B", Colloquia No. 30.] The need to develop formal guidelines for human gene names and symbols was recognized in the 1960's and full guidelines were issued in 1979 (Edinburgh Human Genome Meeting). [ [http://www.genenames.org/aboutHGNC.html About the HGNC] ] Several other species-specific research communities (e.g., Drosophila, mouse) have adopted nomenclature standards, as well, and have published them on the relevantmodel organism websites and in scientific journals, including the "Trends in Genetics " Genetic Nomenclature Guide. [Genetic nomenclature guide (1995). "Trends Genet".] [The "Trends In Genetics" Nomenclature Guide (1998). Elsevier, Cambridge.] Scientists familiar with a particulargene family may work together to revise the nomenclature for the entire set of genes when new information becomes available. [ [http://www.genenames.org/guidelines.html Guidelines for Human Gene Nomenclature] ] For many genes and their correspondingproteins , however, an assortment of alternate names is in use across the scientific literature and publicbiological databases , thus posing a challenge to effective organization and exchange of biological information. [Fundel and Zimmer (2006). [http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/7/372 Gene and protein nomenclature in public databases.] "BMC Bioinformatics" 7:372.]Nomenclature guidelines
pecies-specific resources
The
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee is responsible for providing human gene naming guidelines and approving new, unique human gene names and symbols (short form abbreviations). For some non-human species, model organism databases serve as central repositories of guidelines and help resources, including advice from curators and nomenclature committees. In addition to species-specific databases, approved gene names and symbols for many species can be located in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene Entrez Gene] database.Vertebrate gene symbol formatting
The research communities of
vertebrate model organisms have adopted guidelines whereby genes in these species are given, whenever possible, the same names as their humanorthologs . The use of prefixes on gene symbols to indicate species (e.g., "Z" for zebrafish) is discouraged. The recommended formatting of printed gene and protein symbols varies between species.Human
Gene symbols generally are italicised, with all letters in uppercase (e.g., "SHH", for
sonic hedgehog ). Italics are not necessary in gene catalogs. Protein designations are the same as the gene symbol, but are not italicised; all letters are in uppercase (SHH). mRNAs and cDNAs use the same formatting conventions as the gene symbol. [ [http://www.genenames.org/guidelines.html Guidelines for Human Gene Nomenclature] ]Mouse and rat
Gene symbols generally are italicised, with only the first letter in uppercase and the remaining letters in lowercase ("Shh"). Italics are not required on web pages. Protein designations are the same as the gene symbol, but are not italicised; all letters are in uppercase (SHH). [ [http://www.informatics.jax.org/mgihome/nomen/gene.shtml Rules for Nomenclature of Genes, Genetic Markers, Alleles, and Mutations in Mouse and Rat] ]
Frog ("Xenopus" sp.)
Gene symbols are not italicised and all letters are in lowercase (shh). Protein designations are the same as the gene symbol, are not italicised, and all letters are in uppercase (SHH). [ [http://www.xenbase.org/gene/static/geneNomenclature.jsp Suggested Xenopus Gene Name Guidelines] ]
Zebrafish
Gene symbols are italicised, with all letters in lowercase ("shh"). Protein designations are the same as the gene symbol, but are not italicised; the first letter is in uppercase and the remaining letters are in lowercase (Shh). [ [http://zfin.org/zf_info/nomen.html Zebrafish Nomenclature Guidelines] ]
References
External links
*The Council of Science Editors (CSE) - [http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/publications/resources.cfm Resources for Genetic and Cytogenetic Nomenclature]
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