Sequence organization and genomic complexity of primate @entity51268 gene, a novel XXXX -like gene.

@entity1 @entity1522 @entity51268 @entity17055 @entity535 @entity3474 @entity13554 @entity377 @entity2608 @entity28595
The alpha-like and beta-like globin genes have provided a paradigm for the study of molecular evolution and regulation of multigene families in eukaryotes. The @entity1 @entity13554 gene cluster, which is on chromosome 16 (ref. 1), consists of six genes arranged in the order 5'-zeta(embryonic)-psi zeta-psi alpha 2-psi alpha 1-alpha 2(adult)-alpha 1(adult)-3'. DNA sequencing data have demonstrated that zeta (ref. 6) and alpha 2 (or alpha 1, refs 7-9) are the embryonic and adult genes, respectively, while psi zeta (ref. 6), psi alpha 2 (ref. 5) psi alpha 1 (ref. 10) are all inactive pseudogenes. Restriction mapping analysis has shown that the structure of this locus in several anthropoid primates is nearly identical to that of the @entity1 . Recently, we have isolated the adult @entity13554 gene region from @entity17055 , @entity3474 and @entity2608 by molecular cloning. We report here the complete @entity377 sequence of a gene located immediately downstream from the adult alpha 1-globin gene of the @entity17055 , along with its flanking DNA. We designate this gene as theta 1, and show that it contains the essential sequence elements required for an expressive gene. The putative polypeptide is 141 @entity1522 long, identical to that of the alpha- or @entity28595 , but its predicted @entity535 sequence is nearly as different from the @entity17055 @entity13554 (55 differences) as the @entity1 @entity28595 is from the @entity1 @entity13554 (59 differences), suggesting an ancient history for the @entity51268 gene. Results of blot hybridization experiments using the cloned @entity17055 theta 1 gene sequence as probe demonstrate a similar alpha 2-alpha 1-theta 1 linkage map existing in the @entity1 genome. Furthermore, multiple copies of sequences homologous to the theta 1 gene are detected in both @entity1 and @entity17055 . These results cast a new light on the primate @entity13554 gene family, and have intriguing implications for the existence of previously unreported, functional globin-like gene(s) in the primate genomes.
