CDNA CLONING AND CHROMOSOMAL LOCALIZATION OF THE HUMAN CILIARY NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR GENE

Full-length cDNA for human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF):was isol ated from a human sciatic nerve cDNA library. Sequence analysis reveal ed that the longest: cDNA was comprised of a 48-bp 5'-untranslated reg ion, a 600-bp coding region and a 1207-bp 3'-untranslated region conta ining four ATTTA pentamer motifs and a polyadenylation sequence. The t ranscription starting point was assigned at 81 bp upstream of the init iation methionine by 5' RACE analysis. Using the cDNA and genomic DNA fragment including the entire intron region as mixed probes, the human CNTF gene was localized to the long arm of chromosome 11 at region q1 2 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.