title: Nucleotide sequence and expression of rabbit globin genes zeta 1, zeta 2, and zeta 3. Pseudogenes generated by block duplications are transcriptionally competent.
abstract: The addition of two embryonic globin genes, zeta 0 and zeta 4, to the rabbit alpha-like globin gene cluster expands it to include eight genes arranged 5'-zeta 0-zeta 1-alpha 1-theta 1-zeta 2-zeta 3-theta 2-zeta 4-3'. The identification of these new genes supports the model that this gene cluster evolved by a series of block duplications of gene sets. The nucleotide sequence of three embryonic zeta-globin genes, zeta 1, zeta 2, and zeta 3, shows that all three are pseudogenes. Gene zeta 1 contains two frame-shift deletions, gene zeta 2 has lost exon 1 as well as the 5' promoter sequences, and gene zeta 3 has lost and replaced codons for amino acids that are critical for the function of alpha- and zeta-globin polypeptides. However, genes zeta 1 and zeta 3 are still transcriptionally competent, as shown by the accurate initiation and processing of transcripts from cloned genes introduced into HeLa cells. A quantitative comparison of the zeta-globin gene sequences indicates that the ancestor to the rabbit zeta 1 and zeta 3 genes was inactivated about 44 million years ago, and the block duplication that formed the two genes occurred about 28 million years ago. About 600 base pairs of the 5'-flanking sequence of the rabbit zeta 3-globin gene is very similar to the 5' flanks of three other mammalian zeta-globin genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Krane
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hardison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003062:Codon; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005091:Exons; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011544:Pseudogenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005914:Globins