CLONING AND SEQUENCING A HUMAN HOMOLOG (HMYH) OF THE ESCHERICHIA-COLIMUTY GENE WHOSE FUNCTION IS REQUIRED FOR THE REPAIR OF OXIDATIVE DNA-DAMAGE

We have cloned the human mutY gene (hMYH) from both genomic and cDNA l ibraries. The human gene contains 15 introns and is 7.1 kb long. The 1 6 exons encode a protein of 535 amino acids that displays 41% identity to the Escherichia coli protein, which provides an important function in the repair of oxidative damage to DNA and helps to prevent mutatio ns from oxidative lesions. The human mutY gene maps on the short arm o f chromosome 1, between p32.1 and p34.3.