CHROMOSOMAL LOCALIZATION OF GENE FOR HUMAN GLUTAMATE-RECEPTOR SUBUNIT-7

We isolated a human glutamate receptor subunit 7 (GluR-7) cosmid after high stringency screening of a human genomic placental library using a rat GluR-7 cDNA as a probe. A 614-bp fragment of the GluR-7 cosmid w as sequenced, and an exon that encodes 53 amino acids wasfound between two introns. The exon exhibited 89% and 96% identity at the nucleotid e and amino acid levels, respectively, with the corresponding region o f rat GluR-7. The human GluR-7 was classified as a kainate subtype glu tamate receptor based on its homology to rat GluR-7. Using somatic cel l hybrid analysis, human GluR-7 was localized to chromosome 1. Fine ma pping analysis using FISH localized the gene to 1p33-34. Since glutama te receptors of the kainate subtype have been implicated in neurodegen erative disorders, establishing the precise map position of human GluR -7 subunit is an important step towards evaluating this locus as a can didate for mutations in neurodegenerative disorders.