CHROMOSOME LOCALIZATION, SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS, AND EXPRESSION PATTERN IDENTIFY FKHL-18 AS A NOVEL HUMAN FORKHEAD GENE

The forkhead gene family of transcription factors belongs to the ''win ged helix'' class of DNA-binding proteins. Today over 40 members of th is gene family have been identified, Forkhead genes have been shown to be involved in embryonic development, tumorigenesis, and direction of tissue specificity of gene expression. Here we describe a new human f orkhead gene called freac-10 (HGMW-approved symbol FKHL 18). A combina tion of fluorescence in situ hybridization and somatic cell hybrids lo calizes freac-10 to the chromosomal region of 20q11.1-q11.2. Hybridiza tion to a panel consisting of RNA derived from 50 different tissues sh ows that freac-10 is transcribed predominately in the aorta, thus havi ng a unique expression pattern compared with other forkhead genes. Seq uence comparison reveals a striking similarity, over the conserved DNA binding region, to a murine forkhead gene-fkh-3. We propose, based on sequence differences in the N- and C-terminal regions of the forkhead domain and a clear difference in expression pattern between freac-10 and fkh-3, that freac-10 represents a novel member of this gene family . (C) 1997 Academic Press.