The genes encoding the type II gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor andthe ribonucleoprotein RBM8A in humans overlap in two genomic loci

We have cloned and characterized two genomic loci encoding the human type I I gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor and RNA-binding motif prot ein-8 (RBM8A). In both loci the genes overlap and are in antisense orientat ion to each other. The locus on chromosome 1 encompasses the type II GnRH r eceptor gene (GNRHR2), which is composed of three exons. We found transcrip ts from this gene in a wide range of tissues, but they lacked a methionine initiation codon and had a stop codon in exon 2. In the antisense orientati on, this locus contains RBM8A, which consists of six exons and directs the synthesis of an RBM8A protein of 173 or 174 amino acids by alternative spli cing. A second locus on chromosome 14 contains pseudogenes of RBM8A and the type II GnRH receptor and probably originated from the chromosome 1 locus by retrotransposition.