An olfactory receptor gene is located in the extended human beta-globin gene cluster and is expressed in erythroid cells

An olfactory receptor gene was identified near the 3' breakpoint of a natur ally occurring deletion (HPFH-1) in the human beta-globin gene cluster on c hromosome 11p15.5. The gene encodes an amino acid sequence that is 40 to 51 % identical to that of a set of olfactory receptors that have only recently been identified as a distinct family of receptors. There are two orthologo us genes in the mouse that encode amino acid sequences that are 73 and 71% identical, respectively, to that encoded by the human gene. This olfactory receptor gene is expressed at the RNA level in human and murine erythroid c ells at all stages of development. This aberrant expression is probably due to the location of the gene in the transcriptionally active chromatin doma in of the extended beta-globin gene cluster in erythroid cells. (C) 1999 Ac ademic Press.