MAPPING OF THE MOUSE RAR LOCI ENCODING RETINOIC ACID RECEPTORS RAR-ALPHA, RAR-BETA AND RAR-GAMMA

Nuclear retinoic acid receptors RARalpha, RARbeta and RARgamma are tra nscription factors that bind all-trans retinoic acid as their ligand a nd mediate its action by activating particular set of genes that conta in retinoic acid responsive elements in their promoter-enhancers. We h ave mapped genetic loci for these genes using restriction fragment len gth variants (RFLVs) in interspecific backcross mice. None of the Rar loci cosegregated with each other or with the new subclass of retinoid receptors, Rxr loci. Rara mapped to mChr 11, Rarb mapped to mChr 14, and Rarg mapped to mChr 15. The results are consistent with the previo us reports and the human data in terms of syntenic homology between mo use and human chromosomes.