Comparative mapping of human Chromosome 14q11.2-q13 genes with mouse homologous gene regions

An examination of the synteny blocks between mouse and human chromosomes ai ds in understanding the evolution of chromosome divergence between these tw o species. We comparatively mapped the human (HSA) Chromosome (Chr) 14q11.2 -q13 cytogenetic region with the intervals of orthologous genes an mouse (M MU) chromosomes. A lack of conserved gene order was identified between the human cytogenetic region and the interval of orthologs on MMU 12. The evolu tionary breakpoint junction was defined within 2.5 Mb, where the conserved synteny of genes on HSA 14 changes from MMU 12 to MMU 14. At the evolutiona ry breakpoint junction, a human EST (GI: 1114654) with identity to the huma n and mouse BCL2 interacting gene, BNIP3, was mapped to mouse Chr 3. New ge ne homologs of LAMB1, MEOX2, NRCAM, and NZTF1 were identified on HSA 7 and on the proximal cytogenetic region of HSA 14 by mapping mouse genes recentl y reported to be genetically linked within the relevant MMU 12 interval. Th is study contributes to the identification of homology relationships betwee n the genes of HSA 14q11.2-q13 and mouse Chr 3, 12, and 14.