Estimation of syntenic spans between the Oryza sativa genome and FPContigs from other species of the Oryza Genus

Step 1 - Loading the FPContig Map

The OMAP FPC maps for the wild rice species were loaded into the Gramene 'mappings' relational database such that the data model captured the locations of clones on FPContigs as designated in the FPC map.

Step 2 - Sequence Loading

All GenBank GSS BAC end sequences (BES) for the wild rice species were loaded into the 'mappings' database, and cross references were made between the sequence entries and their parent clones. Pairs of clone end reads could therefore be readily identified.

Step 3 - Sequence Alignment

The BAC end sequences were aligned to the O.sativa pseudomolecules (TIGR v4 assembly) using blat. The standard blat parameters were used, and the alignments from the top 10 scoring hits loaded into the database.

Step 4 - Clone Mapping

Mappings between clones and the O. sativa genome were inferred where both ends of a given clone aligned and were within two standard deviations of the mean clone size. The mean clone size was determined by examining the band counts for the clones in the FPC map and extrapolating the clone size in base pairs using an estimated band size of 1195 bp. The BES for a clone could map in either the same or different orientations to account for possible inversions, but could not be mapped to different chromosomes or to regions on the same chromosome that fell outside of the expected clone size region (+/- 2 std dev. from the mean clone size). Clones could map to multiple regions of the genome if the score for the hits in the region were the same (multiple top hits).

Step 5 - FPContig Mapping

FPContigs mappings on the genome were inferred where three or more overlapping clones on a given contig were located. The start and end of the clones became the start and end points of each region. If a gap existed, another region would be formed by the clones in that region. Discrete sections of each FPContig were free to map to multiple locations on the genome.

Step 6 - Ordered OMAP FPC maps

Sections of the wild rice FPContigs that were located on the O.sativa pseudomolecules were used to directly anchor syntenic regions between the contigs on the FPC map to the O. sativa pseudomolecules (TIGR v4 assembly). The anchored FPContigs from each wild rice species were then ordered and stacked along the syntenic chromosome to create a map that could be viewed side by side with the associated chromosome map from O. sativa in CMap. From these views the user can drill down to the associated clone and BAC end sequence positions that the FPContig mappings are derived from.