Construction of an insertion marker collection of Sz. japonicus (IMACS) for genetic mapping and a fosmid library covering its genome

Measuring relative genetic distances is one of the best ways to locate genetic loci. Here we report the construction of a strains set for genetic mapping in Schizosaccharomyces japonicus , which belongs to the genus Schizosaccharomyces together with the well‐studied fission yeast Sz. pombe . We constructed 29 strains that bear a positive‐negative selection marker at different loci. The marker was inserted every 500 kb in the genome of Sz. japonicus . Each marker thus becomes a ‘scale mark’ of a chromosome that behaves like a yardstick. By determining the genetic distances from the inserted markers, the relative location of a genomic mutation can be determined. We also constructed a fosmid library that covers an entire genome of Sz. japonicus . These tools together would facilitate identification and cloning of the gene. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.