ASSIGNMENT OF THE ZETA-CRYSTALLIN GENE (CRYZ) TO HUMAN-CHROMOSOME 1P22-P-31 AND IDENTIFICATION OF RESTRICTION-FRAGMENT-LENGTH-POLYMORPHISMS

zeta-Crystallin is a lens protein that has been associated with autoso mal dominant congenital cataracts in guinea pigs and thus is a candida te for human congenital cataracts. We have assigned the zeta-crystalli n gene (CRYZ) to human chromosome 1 using a Southern panel of 17 human -mouse somatic cell hybrids and regionally localized it to 1p22-p31 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Five restriction fragment length polymorphisms were identified by analyzing the DNA from 10 unrelated, unaffected individuals. Our results will permit evaluation of its role in human cataractogenesis. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.