Sal-Site: research resources for the Mexican axolotl

Abstract

Sal-Site serves axolotl research efforts by providing Web access to genomic data and information, and living stocks that are reared and made available by the Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center (AGSC). In this chapter, we detail how investigators can search for genes of interest among Sal-Site resources to identify orthologous nucleotide and protein-coding sequences, determine genome positions within the Ambystoma meiotic map, and obtain estimates of gene expression. In the near future, additional genomic resources will be made available for the axolotl, including a listing of genes that are partially or wholly contained within Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) vectors, a prioritized collection of deeply sequenced BAC clones, chromosome-specific assemblies of genomic DNA, and transgenic axolotls that are engineered using TALENs and CRISPRs. Also, services provided by the AGSC will be expanded to include microinjection of user constructs into single cell embryos and distribution of axolotl tissues, DNA, and RNA. In conclusion, Sal-Site is a useful resource that generates, shares, and evolves Ambystoma associated information and databases to serve research and education.