Nomenclature: Naming Your Gene-Modified Mouse

Abstract

For many of us, if we are honest, nomenclature is a tedious, incomprehensible jargon that interferes with presenting and reading research data. While understanding the rules governing nomenclature involves a steep learning curve, the curve is short, and the basics, with a little effort, are grasped relatively quickly.

Like a language, nomenclature is a communication tool that provides a common ground for a disparate group of people. Standardized names provide universally recognized identifiers that can be used by technicians, researchers, purchasing agents, and facility managers, in fact, anyone who uses mice. The formal nomenclature conveys information on the genetics, the technology involved in making the mutation, who created and maintained the strain, and its relationship to other strains. Using a standardized nomenclature for genes, alleles, and strains assists in the goal of reproducible science and helps to bridge the vast amount of data generated by multi-species genome projects.