MAPPING OF THE TAURINE TRANSPORTER GENE TO MOUSE CHROMOSOME-6 AND TO THE SHORT ARM OF HUMAN-CHROMOSOME-3

Transport proteins have essential functions in the uptake of neurotran smitters and neuromodulators. We have mapped the gene encoding the tau rine transporter, Taut, to the central region of mouse chromosome 6. A nalysis of a cross segregating the neurological mutant mnd2 excluded T aut as a candidate gene for this closely linked mutation, To map the h uman taurine transporter gene, TAUT, a sequence-tagged site (STS) corr esponding to the 3' untranslated region of the human cDNA was develope d, TAUT was assigned to human chromosome 3 by typing this STS on a pan el of somatic cell hybrids. Further analysis of a hybrid panel contain ing defined deletions of chromosome 3 suggested that TAUT maps to 3p21 -p25, These data extend a conserved linkage group on mouse chromosome 6 and human chromosome 3p, Deletion of TAUT might contribute to some p henotypic features Of the 3p(-) syndrome. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc .