A sequence with homology to human HPFH-linked enhancer elements and to a family of G-protein linked membrane receptor genes is located downstream of the chicken beta-globin locus

We report 5805 bp of novel sequence (GenBank/EMBL Accession No. AJ012570) f rom a region starting approx. 11.5 kb downstream of the chicken P-globin lo cus (map position approx. +30.8 to +36.6 kb), which contains a 945 bp open reading frame (map position approx. +33 to +33.9 kb). This is predicted ro encode a 315-residue protein containing seven hydrophobic helical regions a nd a 17 amino acid motif characteristic of the R7G family of G-protein coup led membrane-bound receptors. The open reading frame and some surrounding s equence also have significant homology with the breakpoint enhancer element s, which also contain open reading frames, implicated in the HPFH-1/2 and H PFH-6 deletional forms of the human syndrome, hereditary persistence of foe tal haemoglobin (HPFH). The existence df similar sequences at similar dista nces downstream of the P-globin genes in chickens and HPFH patients is intr iguing. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.