Rat Genome and Nomenclature Committee

What is RGNC?

RGNC has been established under the auspices of the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) in order to develop an internationally accepted standard genetic nomenclature for rat genes and strains as well as monitoring rat strains. In addition RGNC acts as a steering committee for all issues of the genetically oriented rat community.

Goals and Tasks

The RGNC is dedicated to the following tasks:

  • To update guidelines and, if necessary, to work out new policies for standardized cytogenetic, genetic and genomic nomenclature of the rat.
  • To update and supervise the use of standardized rules of nomenclature for rat strains and encourage their use.
  • To promote rat strain standardization and monitoring.
  • To support efforts to conserve strains and to establish rat repositories.
  • To coordinate rat nomenclature with human and mouse nomenclature and to cooperate with other species nomenclature committees.
  • To disseminate information on rat genetics to all appropriate scientific disciplines and journals.

The following tasks and activities are under supervision of the RGNC:

 
Nomenclature Rules

Strain Monitoring

 RGNC Committees

RGNC Organs

 

Rat Karyotype
The nomenclature of the G-bands of the rat karyotype follows the rules defined by Levan 1974, and is evident from the rat idiograms.

 

Rat Gene Nomenclature
The day-to-day work of nomenclature assignment is carried out by RATMAP and RGD. Issues of principle are decided by the RGNC as a whole. Because of its complexity MHC nomenclature is dealt with separately under the supervision of Geoff Butcher .

Rat Strains
Since the rat strain list is largely established and the Laboratory Code Registry will be kept further by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR), a major task will now be to establish a holder list of strains. Tadao Serikawa is responible for the preparation of a holder list of Japanese rat strains and Bert van Zutphen for a similar list of non-Japanese strains.

Disease expert groups
Disease expert groups are under development and will be established for complex disease models. A chairperson will be designated for each model disease and she/he may recruit further colleagues. The chairpersons might become associate members of the RGNC.

The tasks of expert groups are to

  • keep a record of the QTL serial numbers and assign new numbers after request from scientists or journals

  • revise the numbering, if necessary

  • decide upon new series of QTL and define the underlying parameter.

The following expert groups (chairpersons) have been proposed:

RATMAP & RGD
The two rat genome databases RATMAP and RGD are official organs of the RGNC and are engaged in the locus symbol nomenclature processes.

Rat Genome
The journal Rat Genome is an offical organ of the RGNC. For publishing, please contact the editors .

RGNC Membership

The members of the RGNC are supposed to be represenative of the rat genome society and work in the interest of the society as a whole. Everyone active in the field of rat genetics and genomics may suggest members for the RGNC. The committee will then decide upon her/his election. The term of new members will be limited to five years with the possibility of re-election after a break. Chairperson and one vice-chairperson will in future be elected by the committee for the period of their membership (5 years).

The present board of RGNC consists of two honorary members, one chairman, three vice-chairmen and eight further regular members. In addition representatives of the two rat genome data bases RATMAP and RGD are associated with the RGNC as secretaries.