Human chromosome–specific DNA libraries: Construction and availability

The goal of the National Laboratory Gene Library Project at the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories is the production of chromosome-specific human gene libraries and their distribution to the scientific community for studies of the molecular biology of genes and chromosomes, and for the study and diagnosis of genetic disease. The specific aim of Phase I of the project is the production of complete digest (4 kb average insert size) libraries from each of the 24 human chromosomal types purified by flow sorting. The bacteriophage vector is Charon 21 A, which has both Eco RI and Hind III insertion sites accommodating human DNA fragments up to 9.1 kb in size. Each laboratory has undertaken production of a complete set of chromosome-specific libraries, Los Alamos with Eco RI and Livermore with Hind III; most of this task has now been accomplished. Close to 1200 library aliquote have been sent to about 300 laboratories world-wide through February 1986, at which time repository and distribution functions were transferred to the American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Md. Following Phase I, we will begin the construction of libraries with large inserts in a more advanced, recently developed bacteriophage vector (about 20 kb inserts) or in a cosmid vector (about 40 kb inserts), and with characteristics better suited to basic studies of gene structure and function.