The C. elegans Gene Knockout Consortium
(http://www.celeganskoconsortium.omrf.org/) pursues systematic targeted gene disruption in the nematode, both upon request for the research community and in the larger context of the whole set of genes for which human orthologs exist (about 7,000 genes). This work is currently based on a reverse-genetics PCR method, generating single-gene deletions. All deletions are stabilized as homozygous or balanced heterozygous strains, the deletion breakpoints are sequenced, and the strains and data are placed immediately into the public domain through our collaborators at the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC:
http://biosci.umn.edu/CGC/CGChomepage.htm) and WormBase
(http://www.wormbase.org/). To date the Consortium has generated deletions in more than 1800 genes, and more than 1300 of these have been stabilized and archived at the CGC. Distribution of Consortium strains accounts for an increasing proportion of distributions from the CGC every year, and stood at 20% for the calendar year 2004.The reverse genetics PCR method using UV/TMP as the mutagen has evolved in our hands into a robust system for efficient generation of deletion mutations. However, some target genes have been refractory to this method, and we therefore continue to evaluate other isolation/detection methods (for example, see abstracts on array CGH and resequencing at this meeting). We will report on our latest progress using all methods.Additional authors for whom inadequate space was allowed by abstract submission system: Peter Huang (UBC and BC Genome Sciences Centre), Jason Maydan (UBC), Sheldon McKay (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY).