The present invention relates to a method of identifying candidate genes
and the proteins encoded by them that are useful in the inducement of
hybrid vigour, hybrid debility and/or the diagnosis, prognosis and
treatment of disease. In particular, the present invention relates to a
method for identifying candidate genes capable of producing hybrid vigour
or hybrid debility in an animal or plant, comprising the steps of: (i)
comparing the mRNA sequence of alleles of candidate genes isolated from
an animal or plant which exhibits hybrid vigour or hybrid debility with
the nucleotide sequences from the corresponding alleles isolated from the
parents of said animal or plant; (ii) identifying mRNA sequence
differences in the alleles from said animal or plant which exhibits
hybrid vigour or hybrid debility which codes for amino acid sequence
variation; and (iii) identifying that the amino acid sequence variation
between alleles of the candidate gene in said animal or plant is encoded
by mRNA sequences which are located within two or more different exons
within the candidate gene.