Comparative genomic hybridization by array of barley BAC pools to anchor BACs physical and genetic maps

BAC pool DNA hybridisation of barley to 44k Agilent microarrays. We have used two-channel Agilent expression microarrays to address thousands of gene sequences to individual BAC clones and contigs that form part of an emerging physical map of the large and unsequenced 5300 Mbp barley genome. By using two-colour processing, each array allows simultaneous co-hybridization of two independent BAC pools (SP), for which the data is analysed separately. As a general approach the method represents a cost-effective, highly parallel alternative to traditional gene-to-BAC addressing methods. By coupling the BAC address-data with gene-based genetic maps we were able to anchor thousands of BACs to the barley genetic map.