IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN MGSA GRO PSEUDOGENE/

Three linked genes for the CXC-chemokine melanoma growth stimulatory a ctivity/growth related protein (MGSA/GRO) have been previously charact erized and mapped to chromosome 4q12-q13. We have isolated and charact erized a pseudogene, MGSA/GRO delta, which is 83% similar to the MGSA/ GRO alpha gene in the region spanning the 5' UTR, first and second exo ns, and the first intron. The 5' upstream sequence for the MGSA/GRO de lta gene, which is also very similar to the MGSA/GRO alpha, beta, gamm a genes, contains a considered NF-kappa B motif, a TATA box, and a tra nscription initiation site. However, the sequence becomes markedly div ergent after the second exon and hybridization studies indicate that s equences similar to the third and forth exons of other MGSA/GRO genes are not present in this gene. Additional sequence differences include alteration of the MGSA/GRO delta translation initiation codon and a on e base insertion resulting in an apparent frame shift and early termin ation within exon 2. Multiple mutations such as these are characterist ic of pseudogenes.