ASSIGNMENT OF THE HUMAN PAX4 GENE TO CHROMOSOME BAND 7Q32 BY FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Of the nine known members of a human paired box-containing gene family (Pax), only PAX4 has not been precisely localized. We screened a cosm id library of human genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction produc ts for PAX4 as a probe and isolated three positive cosmid clones. Sequ ence analysis revealed that at least two of them had exon-like sequenc es and showed extensive homology to Pax-4 in the mouse. These two cosm id clones were mapped to human chromosome band 7q32 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.