NEURTURIN, A NOVEL NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR, IS LOCALIZED TO MOUSE-CHROMOSOME-17 AND HUMAN-CHROMOSOME 19P13.3

Neurturin is a potent neurotrophic factor closely related to glial cel l line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF, 40% amino acid sequence iden tity) and, like GDNF, can promote the survival of numerous neuronal po pulations including sympathetic, nodose, and dorsal root ganglion sens ory neurons. Both neurturin and GDNF signal through the Bet tyrosine k inase and require a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked coreceptor. Mu tations in Ret and GDNF cause intestinal aganglionosis and renal dyspl asia. Activating Bet mutations also cause multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes (MEN2A and MEN2B). We have isolated mouse and human genomic neurturin clones. The sequence for preproneurturin is encoded by two exons. Mouse and human clones have common intron/exon boundaries. We h ave used interspecific backcross analysis to localize neurturin to mou se chromosome 17 near the Vav locus and fluorescence in situ hybridiza tion analysis to localize human neurturin to the syntenic region of hu man chromosome 19p13.3, (C) 1997 Academic Press.