GENOMIC ORGANIZATION AND GENETIC-MAPPING OF THE NEUROIMMUNE GENE I2RF5 TO MOUSE CHROMOSOME-4

The nervous and immune systems share many functional and molecular sim ilarities, including shared surface antigens, secretions of soluble fa ctors, and cross-modulatory effects. We have identified previously a n ovel mRNA termed F5, which is expressed only in activated T lymphocyte s and mature, postmitotic neurons. Tissue specificity and sequence con servation suggest an important function for F5 in T-lymphocyte prolife ration and neuronal maturation. The F5 gene product is an evolutionari ly conserved, cytoskeletal-associated phosphoprotein. A full-length mo use genomic clone has been isolated. The protein coding region of the F5 gene is approximately 16 kb in length and is composed of 13 coding exons. The gene encoding F5, termed I2rf5, was mapped using interspeci es mouse crosses in close proximity to a number of genes associated wi th neuronal defects on distal chromosome 4. (C) 1995 Academic Press, I nc.