MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND LOCALIZATION OF THE HUMAN MAFG GENE

The human MAFG gene encodes a basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) protein that belongs to a family of transcription factors related to the v-maf onc ogene. The ubiquitously expressed MAFG protein dimerizes with blood ce ll-specific bZIP factor p45 NF-E2, indicating that it may play a role in regulating hematopoietic gene expression. We have characterized the human MAFG gene and shown that it consists of at least three exons, w hich are separated by small introns. The first exon is not translated. The genomic structure of the MAFG locus is highly conserved between h uman and chicken. We have mapped the MAFG gene to human chromosome reg ion 17q25 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Several putative huma n disease loci have been mapped to this telomeric portion of chromosom e 17. (C) 1997 Academic Press.