Concise Descriptions

Keeping Gene Names Up-to-Date

From Kimberly

Concise descriptions typically begin with the name of the gene, either its CGC name, e.g. unc-7, or its sequence name, e.g. Y24F12A.2. Sometimes the CGC name changes, but more frequently, the gene with a sequence name acquires a CGC name due to more intensive study or characterization.

• To keep the names up-to-date in the concise descriptions, there are two emails to check:
  • Check each email from the webserver@sanger.ac.uk and pay particular attention to the emails with subject heading NAMEDB: CGC added to WBGenennnnnnnn. These are typically the cases where a CGC name is added to a gene that previously was known only by its sequence name. If we've written a concise description for this gene using the sequence name, then I update the description to now use the CGC name using the concise_description_new_cgi.
  • Mary Ann Tuli and Jonathan Hodgkin send an email, on which they cc Cecilia Nakamura and me, confirming all of the updated persons, labs, and gene names as recorded by the CGC. In the body of the email is a list of new gene names and assignments that I also check. Note that there is some redundancy here: any new gene name mentioned in the updates email should also be added to the name server and thus come through as a NAMEDB email. In my experience, though, a little redundancy is not always a bad thing and helps to keep things from falling through the cracks. As above, I make any necessary gene name changes using the concise_description_new_cgi.