SYSTEMATIC SEQUENCING OF THE HUMAN HLA-A HLA-F REGION - ESTABLISHMENTOF A COSMID CONTIG AND IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW GENE-CLUSTER WITHIN 37KB OF SEQUENCE/

The class I region of the human histocompatibility complex is characte rized by a high density of genes and pseudogenes and a complex structu ral organization. To elucidate the complete structure of the HLA-A/HLA -F region with a view to defining its contents in genes and pseudogene s, we developed a strategy of systematic sequencing. This report descr ibes the establishment of a cosmid contig spanning most of the region and the analysis of a 37-kb sequence from one of the cosmids. Four new genes, organized with the HCG-V gene in a clustered structure, have b een identified. Two of these contain a zinc finger motif characteristi c of DNA-binding proteins. The former, a member of the C3HC4 protein f amily, is highly expressed in prostate and contains a B30-2-like seque nce identified in several genes mapped within the class I region. The latter, which is ubiquitously expressed, is the human equivalent of th e yeast polymerase IA12.2 subunit and of the murine tctex6 gene. Of th e two other genes, one remains an anonymous gene with no particular fe ature, while the fourth, specifically expressed in testis, is the huma n equivalent of the murine tctex4 gene. This cluster, located in a reg ion corresponding to a syntenic unit between mouse and human, appears to be highly conserved. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.