Mouse alpha-globin genes and alpha-globin-like pseudogenes are not syntenic.
A genetic polymorphism for a Bgl I endonuclease site near the alpha-globin-like pseudogene alpha-4 of C57BL/6 and C3H/HeN mice was used to show that alpha-4 was not affected by three independent mutations in which the adult globin genes alpha-1 and alpha-2 were deleted. These results indicated that alpha-4 might not be located adjacent to the adult alpha-globin genes on chromosome 11. Restriction endonuclease analysis of DNA of a primary clone of a Chinese hamster--mouse somatic cell hybrid that had lost mouse chromosomes 11 and 18 showed that this clone lacked the adult murine globin genes alpha-1 and alpha-2 but it did contain the alpha-globin-like pseudogenes alpha-3 and alpha-4. These results indicated that the adult alpha-globin genes and alpha-globin-like pseudogenes are not located on the same chromosome. Similar analyses of several other Chinese hamster--mouse somatic cell hybrids that had segregated other mouse chromosomes indicated that the alpha-globin-like pseudogenes alpha-3 and alpha-4 are located on mouse chromosomes 15 and 17, respectively. These data explain why alpha-3 and alpha-4 were not affected by the three independently induced deletion-type mutations that cause alpha-thalassemia in the mouse.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000032:analysis; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005796:Genes; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics*; D006822:Hybrid Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013154:Spleen / Q000502:physiology
D005914:Globins