ANALYSIS OF THE RETINOIC ACID RECEPTOR-ALPHA GENE AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE PULMONARY ADENOMA RESISTANCE-1 GENE

The retinoic acid receptor alpha (Rara) gene, which maps in the same r egion as the pulmonary adenoma resistance (Par1) locus on mouse chromo some 11 (Manenti G et al., Nature Genet 12:455-457, 1996), was tested as a candidate gene for Par1. We report here the analysis of loss of h eterozygosity, nucleotide sequence comparison, gene expression, and bi ochemical activity of the Rara gene from the Mus spretus (Par1/+) and A/J (Par1/-) mouse strains. The two Rara alleles were distinguished by two amino-acid variations but had similar biochemical activity and ex pression levels, leading to the exclusion of Rara as a candidate Par1 gene. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.