The results of experiments aimed at detecting polymorphisms and mutati
ons in the BRCA1 promoter region as well as comparisons of two publish
ed DNA sequences indicated that two similar but distinct copies of thi
s region exist in the human genome, PCR primers specific for amplifica
tion of each of the related sequences were developed and new genomic c
lones corresponding to each of the two promoter regions were isolated
from rearrangement-resistant libraries. Sequence analysis of the clone
s and specific PCR products reveals two similar genomic arrangements o
f head-to-head genes, The BRCA1 gene is closely apposed to a gene stru
cture that is similar but not identical to 1A1.3B, and the 1A1.3B gene
is apposed to a gene structure that has strong similarity to BRCA1 bu
t also significant differences, STS analysis of YAC and P1 clones loca
ted in the vicinity of BRCA1 indicates that these similar promoter reg
ions are elements of a direct duplication, New hypotheses for genetic
mechanisms that may be involved in breast and ovarian cancer etiology
are raised by the identification of this duplicated genetic structure
on chromosome 17q. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.