The murine DSCR1-like (Down Syndrome Candidate Region 1) gene family: conserved synteny with the human orthologous genes

A recently recognized gene family, conserved from yeast to humans, includes Down syndrome candidate region 1 gene (DSCR1), Adapt78 (recognized as the hamster ortholog of the DSCR1 isoform 4), ZAKI-4 (renamed DSCR1-like 1, DSC R1L1) and DSCR1L2 (a novel gene on human chromosome 1), along with yeast an d C, elegans single members (Strippoli P., Lenzi L., Petrini M., Carinci P. , Zannotti M., 2000. A new gene family including DSCR1 (Down Syndrome Candi date Region 1) and ZAKI-4: characterization from yeast to human and identif ication of DSCR1-like 2, a novel human member. Genomics 64, 252-263). The p roposed family labels were a putative single-strand nucleic acid binding do main similar to the RNA recognition motif, and a unique, highly-conserved s erine-proline motif. We have used a bioinformatics-driven molecular biology approach to characterize the murine members of DSCR1-like gene family. Sys tematic expressed-sequence-tags (EST) database search and reverse-transcrip tion polymerase chain rection (RT-PCR) product sequencing allowed identific ation of the murine DSCR1, DSCR1L1 and DSCR1L2. The sequences of the respec tive protein products are of 198, 197 and 241 amino acids, respectively, an d are very similar to the corresponding human proteins. The very broad expr ession pattern of the murine DSCR1 genes is similar to that of the human ge nes. Using a radiation hybrid panel, we mapped the murine DSCR1-like family members. The murine DSCR1 ortholog is located on the chromosome 16, in a r egion corresponding to that on human chromosome 21 just upstream of the Dow n syndrome candidate region. DSCR1L1 and DSCR1L2 murine genes are also loca ted in chromosomal segments of chromosome 17 and 4, respectively, exactly c orresponding to those containing the respective human homologs on chromosom es 6 and 1. Description of the mouse orthologs for DSCR1-like genes will al low knockout mice to be obtained for specific family members. (C) 2000 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.