RESEARCH PLAN

Principal Investigator/Program Director Williams, Robert W.

Limitations of existing approaches

All QTL mapping programs require that the user provide a large data set of marker genotypes (typically tens of thousands of genotypes) and, in most cases, a corresponding set of map positions for the markers. For the nonspecialist, obtaining these data in a suitable format can be a significant barrier to QTL mapping, even when the data are publicly available. We discuss this problem at greater length in the Introduction. The NTB will be a major resource in mouse neurogenetics, and one that we think will rival ongoing mutagenesis programs in impact. The NTB will include all of the necessary markers, genotypes, and map positions in a data structure that requires no attention from neuroscientists interested in tracking down genes that control any region or nucleus in the CNS. We will also have a very extensive preloaded list of phenotypes in the NTB, initially key parameters for multiple regression analysis such as sex, body weight, brain weight, age, etc. Eventually, when the NeuroCartographer Project has segmented the majority of brains in the MBL collection, the NTB will contain several hundred phenotypes for each animal and RI strain. Once the NTB system is in place, it will be relatively simple to extend it to other test crosses. We expect to get many requests to curate new QTL data sets. For example, an advanced intercross between C57BL/6J and A/J to complement our AXB-BXA RI set would be a very welcome addition.

Next Topic

• Novelty of the neurogenetics tool box.