CLONING OF STRL22, A NEW HUMAN GENE ENCODING A G-PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTOR-RELATED TO CHEMOKINE RECEPTORS AND LOCATED ON CHROMOSOME 6Q27

Using PCR with pools of primers based on conserved sequences in chemok ine receptors, we have cloned a human member of the G-protein-coupled receptor gene family. The new gene, which we have named STRL22, is pre dicted to encode a receptor related to chemokine receptors, including IL8RA (CXCR1), IL8RB (CXCR2), and CXCR4/fusin, and to the orphan recep tors EBI1 and BLR1. Consistent with a role in leukocyte biology, STRL2 2 is expressed in lymphocytes and in lymphoid tissue. We have mapped S TRL22 to chromosome 6q27. STRL22 cDNAs reflect alternative (or incompl ete) mRNA processing in the 5'-nontranslated region, a phenomenon foun d in analysis of other chemoattractant receptor genes. In contrast to most chemokine receptor genes, the STRL22 coding sequence is not limit ed to a Single exon. (C) 1997 Academic Press.