Uncovering trends in gene naming 英文参考文献.docVIP

Correspondence Uncovering trends in gene naming Michael R Seringhaus?, Philip D Cayting? and Mark B Gerstein*? ? Addresses: *Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, ?Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, and ?Department of Computer Science, Yale University, Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Correspondence: Mark B Gerstein. Email: mark.gerstein@ Published: 31 January 2008 Genome Biology 2008, 9:401 (doi:10.1186/gb-2008-9-1-401) The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at /2008/9/1/401 ? 2008 BioMed Central Ltd Abstract We take stock of current genetic nomenclature and attempt to organize strange and notable gene names. We categorize, for instance, those that involve a naming system transferred from another context (for example, Pavlovs dogs). We hope this analysis provides clues to better steer gene naming in the future. A survey of nomenclatures: genes, Certain scientific discoveries confer the privilege of coining a lasting name. In ing to a rigorous system (for example, sequential open reading frame number- For human observers, the genome is ing), just as certain newer cities adhere merely the latest example of a vast, to a rational system (consider Pierre l’Enfant’s plan for Washington DC or streets and stars biology, curious identifiers abound, ranging from playful acronyms for biosoftware tools to Latinized species partially understood landscape of names and tongue-twisting descriptive objects to label. Pioneering explorers, the numbered grid of Manhattan). labels. The most problematic of these cartographers, astronomers and city are gene names. The prevalence of silly planners all faced a similar task, gener- In astronomy, the names of the primal and awkward gene names has been dis- ating nomenclatures with a variety of heavenly bodies - the S