MOUSE DESMOCOLLIN (DSC3) AND DESMOGLEIN (DSG1) GENES ARE CLOSELY LINKED IN THE PROXIMAL REGION OF CHROMOSOME-18

Mouse cDNA clones coding for a desmocollin and a desmoglein, desmosoma l cadherins that are putative adhesion molecules of the desmosome type of cell-cell junction characteristically found in epithelial tissues, have been isolated and sequenced. From sequence comparisons with the known human and bovine desmosomal cadherins, these clones represent a mouse Dsc3 and Dsg1. By interspecific backcross analysis, these genes were found to be closely linked in the proximal region of mouse chromo some 18, a region having conserved synteny with human chromosome 18. F rom these results, and recently reported linkage of DSG1 and DSG2 on h uman chromosome 18 at 18q12.1 in a deletion panel of somatic cell hybr ids, all the desmosomal cadherins genes so far examined are clustered on chromosome 18 in human and mouse, which may have implications for g ene expression. We further show that the human DSC3 gene, previously r eported to be located on chromosome 9, also maps to human chromosome 1 8. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.