Genomic mapping of resistance to Marek's disease

It seems likely that genomic mapping will be able to identify the genes responsible for genetic resistance to Marek's disease, shedding light on the processes of pathogenesis and the immune response at the same time. Already the indication that the NK region is implicated in genetic resistance suggests many avenues of investigation. The growing evidence that quite large regions of the chicken genome have a common gene order with that of humans or mice suggests exciting possibilities for using information from these well-mapped species. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to utilize linked markers to select for the resistance genes or whether efficient selection will require isolation of the mapped genes.