Gene nomenclature is the scientific
naming of
genes, the units of
heredity in living organisms. An international committee published recommendations for genetic symbols and nomenclature in 1957. The need to develop formal guidelines for human gene names and symbols was recognized in the 1960s and full guidelines were issued in 1979 (Edinburgh Human Genome Meeting). Several other
genus-specific research communities (e.g.,
Drosophila fruit flies,
Mus mice) have adopted nomenclature standards, as well, and have published them on the relevant
model organism websites and in scientific journals, including the
Trends in Genetics Genetic Nomenclature Guide. Scientists familiar with a particular
gene family may work together to revise the nomenclature for the entire set of genes when new information becomes available. For many genes and their corresponding
proteins, an assortment of alternate names is in use across the scientific literature and public
biological databases, posing a challenge to effective organization and exchange of biological information.
Standardization of nomenclature thus tries to achieve the benefits of
vocabulary control and
bibliographic control, although adherence is voluntary. The advent of the
information age has brought
gene ontology, which in some ways is a next step of gene nomenclature, because it aims to unify the representation of gene and gene product attributes across all species.