SGD Gene Registry

6 May 1997

SGD maintains a complete list of all S. cerevisiae gene names, called the Gene Name Registry. This list includes all the "standard" locus names in the database, the "not-standard" locus names (i.e., aliases), and the "reserved" locus names (see Reserving a gene name with the SGD). The task of maintaining the Registry was transferred to the SGD project by Bob Mortimer in early 1994. The SGD curators search the literature as well as the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ and SwissProt/PIR databases to verify that gene names are unique and to identify new gene names. If a gene name is not unique, the SGD curators work to resolve the nomenclature conflicts.

Maintaining the Gene Name Registry has presented many nomenclature issues that have been difficult to resolve. We have therefore developed the SGD gene-naming guidelines. The aim of these guidelines is to assist researchers in gene naming and to inform them about our policies for resolving gene name conflicts. The most common type of problems encountered are: gene names that are not in the standard Saccharomyces cerevisiae format, names used for more than one gene, or single genes with multiple names. The curators at SGD attempt to resolve these problems according to the guidelines section on resolution of gene name conflicts.

To avoid conflicts, researchers should search for candidate gene names using the Global Gene Hunter. We urge researchers to contact the SGD prior to the publication of a new gene name (even if they have previously reserved it) to ensure that the gene name they wish to use is still appropriate. The SGD curators are happy to help researchers reserve a gene name or determine whether a gene name is appropriate. A gene name reservation is valid for six months. After six months, it is the researcher's responsibility to submit evidence of continuing work to SGD, in the form of additional information, to renew the reservation.

Please note that all information submitted to SGD is made public. SGD cannot accept and does not maintain any confidential information.

You may send the SGD curators comments or questions by a WWW form. Alternatively, you may send electronic mail to yeast-curator@genome.stanford.eduor call us at (650) 725-8956.

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