- Formulate possible combinations of letters for the gene symbol. This should be an acronym or abbreviation of the gene name, and begin with the same letter as the gene name.
Consult Guidelines for Human Gene Nomenclature
- Check HGNC and MGD to see which combinations are available.
- Search HGNC, MGD, Entrez Gene, Ensembl and VEGA to ensure entry is not already there.
- Check proposed symbol is not in common use elsewhere for a gene in any species, or widely used in other contexts. Searches of Entrez should help to identify such problems.
Submit the proposed gene symbol to the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee for approval.
