PALSBOLL, P. J., VADER, A., BAKKE, I., and RAAFAT EL-GEWELY, M. 1992. Determination of gender in cetaceans by the polymerase chain reaction. Can. J. Zool. 70: 2 166 -2170. We determined the gender of a variety of cetacean species, including both ondotocetes and mysticetes, using the polymerase chain reaction for amplification of the sex chromosome specific regions ZFYIZFX and SRY. This quick and simple method requires extremely small amounts of tissue, and therefore allows gender to be determined from skin biopsies taken from freeranging specimens. In the fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, no gender-specific bands were observed when the ZFYIZFX system was used, but.when the SRY system was used, sex was accurately determined. Previous studies in other mammals have also shown the SRY system to be more reliable in sex determination. We therefore recommend amplification of the SRY region alone or in parallel with the ZFYIZFX regions, as described here, as a test for gender in cetaceans and other mammals. PALSBOLL, P. J., VADER, A., BAKKE, I., et RAAFAT EL-GEWELY, M. 1992. Determination of gender in cetaceans by the polymerase chain reaction. Can. J. Zool. 70 : 2 166-2170. Nous avons dCterminC le sexe chez un bon nombre d'espkces de cCtacCs en utilisant la rCaction de la chaine des polymCrases pour mettre en Cvidence les rCgions spkcifiques ZFYIZFX et SRY des chromosomes sexuels. Les espkces examinCes appartenaient aux odontocktes aussi bien qu'aux mysticktes. Cette mkthode rapide et simple ne requiert que des quantitCs minimes de tissus et permet donc la dktermination du sexe a partir de biopsies de la peau prClevCes chez des individus libres. Chez le Rorqual commun, Balaenoptera physalus, aucune bande spkcifique au sexe n'a Ct C observCe a l'utilisation du systkme ZFYIZFX, mais le systkme SRY a permis de dkterminer le sexe avec prCcision. Des Ctudes antkrieures d'autres mammifkres avaient dCja dCmontrC que le systkme SRY Ctait plus exact. Nous recommandons donc I'amplification de la rCgion SRY, ou son utilisation conjointe avec l'amplification des rCgions ZFYIZFX, comme mCthode de dktermination du sexe chez les cCtacCs et chez d'autres mammifkres.[Traduit par la rCdaction]

Genome annotations are accumulating rapidly and depend heavily on automated annotation systems. Many genome centers offer annotation systems but no one has compared their output in a systematic way to determine accuracy and inherent errors. Errors in the annotations are routinely deposited in databases such as NCBI and used to validate subsequent annotation errors. We submitted the genome sequence of halophilic archaeon Halorhabdus utahensis to be analyzed by three genome annotation services. We have examined the output from each service in a variety of ways in order to compare the methodology and effectiveness of the annotations, as well as to explore the genes, pathways, and physiology of the previously unannotated genome. The annotation services differ considerably in gene calls, features, and ease of use. We had to manually identify the origin of replication and the species-specific consensus ribosome-binding site. Additionally, we conducted laboratory experiments to test H. utahensis growth and enzyme activity. Current annotation practices need to improve in order to more accurately reflect a genome's biological potential. We make specific recommendations that could improve the quality of microbial annotation projects.