Cloning of the genomic sequence encoding a processed adenylate kinase 2 pseudogene

A chromosomal DNA sequence harboring a processed AK2B pseudogene was isolat ed from a human genomic library. It was a variant of the AK2B gene sequence including several point mutations, deletions, and insertions. The nucleoti de sequence of the ORF of the AK2B pseudogene predicted a truncated form of the AK2B mutant suggesting that the processed pseudogene is nonfunctional. A repetitive sequence, AAAAGAGAG, found in the 5' and 3' flanking regions of the pseudogene and the poly(A) tract in the 3' end junction suggest that a mRNA of AK2B may have been converted to the processed pseudogene by retr otransposition events. Previously. it was suggested that an adenylate kinas e (AK) 2 related gene on chromosome 2. confirmed by Southern analysis using somatic cell hybrid cell lines. may be a processed pseudogene. It is propo sed that the processed pseudogene isolated in this study may be the AK2 rel ated nonfunctional gene localized on human chromosomes 2.