Comments on: Naming Genes and Mutants http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants A Wandering Through Life and Science Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:20:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: The Futile Cycle » Blog Archive » Lucky Choices http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants#comment-3703 The Futile Cycle » Blog Archive » Lucky Choices Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:30:40 +0000 http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants#comment-3703 [...] There’s an interesting article in Genetics on the luckiness of biology’s initial choice of bacteria to study. One of the most common bacterial types that molecular biologists studied back in the mid-20th century was E. coli K12. K12 was used a lot because it harbored a dormant λ virus (allowing the discovery of one of the most elegant genetic switches ever found), an F+ plasmid, and many suppressors of amber mutants (which I mentioned before). [...] [...] There’s an interesting article in Genetics on the luckiness of biology’s initial choice of bacteria to study. One of the most common bacterial types that molecular biologists studied back in the mid-20th century was E. coli K12. K12 was used a lot because it harbored a dormant λ virus (allowing the discovery of one of the most elegant genetic switches ever found), an F+ plasmid, and many suppressors of amber mutants (which I mentioned before). [...]

]]> By: dacrotty http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants#comment-3612 dacrotty Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:26:41 +0000 http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants#comment-3612 Hedgehog isn't so bad, as the crinkled up mutant fly embryos looked like hedgehogs. The annoying thing is that all the related genes found later ended up with names like "Sonic Hedgehog", "Indian Hedgehog" and "Tiggywinkle". Actually, most annoying of all are the folks who find a gene and give it a new name, even though when they sequence it, they find out it's already been found and named in other species. The zebrafish community is particularly egregious with this. Xnot becomes "floating head", brachyury becomes "no tail". I say, once a gene is found and named, you have to use that name, or a derivative thereof, when you clone and sequence it in your species. Otherwise one has to keep a conversion chart or memorize a completely new set of names for each species. Hedgehog isn’t so bad, as the crinkled up mutant fly embryos looked like hedgehogs. The annoying thing is that all the related genes found later ended up with names like “Sonic Hedgehog”, “Indian Hedgehog” and “Tiggywinkle”.

Actually, most annoying of all are the folks who find a gene and give it a new name, even though when they sequence it, they find out it’s already been found and named in other species. The zebrafish community is particularly egregious with this. Xnot becomes “floating head”, brachyury becomes “no tail”. I say, once a gene is found and named, you have to use that name, or a derivative thereof, when you clone and sequence it in your species. Otherwise one has to keep a conversion chart or memorize a completely new set of names for each species.

]]> By: Apollo http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants#comment-3607 Apollo Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:52:34 +0000 http://futilecycle.com/2008/01/17/on-naming-genes-and-mutants#comment-3607 I'm sure the scientist who named the hedgehog protein was just paying homage to that (activity) which kept him/her sane through grad school! I’m sure the scientist who named the hedgehog protein was just paying homage to that (activity) which kept him/her sane through grad school!

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