CHROMOSOMAL ASSIGNMENT OF 4 TESTIS-EXPRESSED MOUSE GENES FROM A NEW FAMILY OF TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEINS (ADAMS) INVOLVED IN CELL-CELL ADHESIONAND FUSION

A new gene family of multidomain membrane proteins (ADAMs) that includ e A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease domain comprises an increasing num ber of identified members. Two members of this family, fertilin alpha and fertilin beta, form a heterodimeric protein that is required for s perm-egg fusion. Most recently, it has been shown that a third family member, meltrin alpha, is involved in myoblast fusion (Yagami-Hiromasa et al., 1995, Nature 377: 652-656). Using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of a DNA panel from an interspecific backcross, we have determined the chromosomal locations of four mouse genes of t his family that are expressed in testis: fertilin alpha, fertilin beta , ADAM 4, and ADAM 5, These genes have been given the locus symbols Ft na (fertilin alpha), Ftnb (fertilin beta), Adam4 (ADAM 4), and Adam5 ( ADAM 5). They were mapped to chromosomes 5, 14, 9, and 8, respectively , revealing a dispersed localization. Human chromosome locations of th ese genes are predicted on the basis of the mapping results using the information provided by comparative linkage maps, Because all four of these ADAM genes are expressed in testis and fertilin a and beta have been found to be important for fertilization, we compared their chromo somal locations with known mouse mutations affecting spermatogenesis a nd fertility. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.