Sixteen yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones have been mapped to t
he H2-M region at the distal end of the mouse major histocompatibility
complex (MHC) on chromosome 17. Analysis of the YACs with single- and
multicopy probes yielded a proximal contig spanning a minimum of 800
kb and a distal contig of 700 kb. A probe for the conserved fourth exo
n of MHC class I genes detected 19 restriction fragments, including 6
of the 8 previously characterized H2-M class I genes, in the proximal
contig. This contig spans the gap from the M to the T region and inclu
des the T1 gene. By contrast, only two class I genes, M2 and M3, were
found in the distal contig. These two genes, which are both expressed,
may mark the end of the MHC. The order among nine class I genes and s
even other markers was determined in the cloned DNA from the centromer
e as T1, Tu32A, (M1-M7-M8), Tu32B, B30, M6, M4, M5, Mog, Tu42A//M2, Le
h525, M3, Tu42B, where the orientation with respect to the centromere
is unknown for M1-M7-M8. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.