Cloning by synteny: identifying C. briggsae homologues of C. elegans genes

Phylogenetic comparisons of gene and protein sequences between related species are often used to identify evolutionarily conserved elements that are important for gene expression, function, or regulation. However, homologoues may sometimes be difficult to identify by conventional low stringency hybridisation techniques, if they have undergone substantial sequence divergence. A new approach, cloning by synteny, is described that was used to identify the C. briggsae homologue of the C. elegans sex-determining gene tra-2. We show that four genes tra-2, ppp-1, art-1, and sod-1 are organised in a syntenic cluster and suggest that extensive conservation of gene linkage may exist between C. briggsae and C. elegans. We have also constructed a C. briggsae cDNA library to facilitate characterisation of these genes. Given the rapid progress in the physical mapping and sequencing of the C. elegans genome, cloning by synteny may provide the fastest method for identifying C. briggsae gene homologues, especially for genes encoding novel proteins.