ASSIGNMENT OF THE HUMAN TRYPTOPHANYL-TRANSFER-RNA SYNTHETASE GENE (WARS) TO CHROMOSOME 14Q32.2-]Q32.32

Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase catalyzes the aminoacylation of tRNA(trp) with tryptophan, an essential function in the cell's protein synthesi s machinery. It has been shown that tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase is in duced by interferon, and this has led to hypotheses about other possib le functions of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase. We have mapped a cDNA pr obe of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase gene (WARS) by a combination o f somatic cell hybrid analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FI SH), and linkage analysis. Both FISH and linkage analysis independentl y supported a more distal position of WARS than had been previously re ported. FISH mapping indicated a most likely location at 14q32.31. Lin kage analysis was based on the 40 reference families from the CEPH col laboration and resulted in a 13-point map, placing WARS, with odds of more than 1,000:1, within an area of similar to 10 cM and, with odds o f 198:1, in an similar to 6 cM interval between pCMM101 and D14S27. Th e study provides additional integration of the physical and genetic ma ps of the distal part of 14q, as well as genetic tools enabling a more complete understanding of the function of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetas e, especially with regard to the cryptic inducibility of interferon.