The genomic structure of C140rf1 is conserved across eukarya

We have recently cloned the gene C14orf1, which is strongly expressed in no rmal testis and in several cancer cell lines and tumors. This gene maps to 14q24.3 and is interrupted by four introns. Two of them an also represented in the open reading frame of Schizosaccharomyces pombe in the same phase. In Arabidopsis taliana only the first of the two introns was found, in the same phase as the corresponding ones in S. pombe and human. Disruption of t he ortholog in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Yer044c) led to a severe growth de fect, and C14orf1 failed to complement mutant yeast when put under the cont rol of the natural Yer044c promoter. Further studies are needed to understa nd the causes underlying the high degree of conservation of the C14orf1 gen omic structure.