title: Detection of rare allelic variants of the interferon-alpha 2 gene in human genomic DNA.
abstract: We have analyzed human donor DNA for the presence of sequences corresponding to allelic variants of the IFN-alpha 2 locus. Using both restriction enzyme digestion of PCR-amplified fragments and sequence analysis of these fragments, we have identified the three reported allelic variants, IFN-alpha 2a, IFN-alpha 2b, and IFN-alpha 2c, in genomic DNA derived from donors of African or Afro-Caribbean origin. This is the first report of the IFN-alpha 2a and IFN-alpha 2c alleles occurring in human donor DNA and supports the view that these are variants of the predominant IFN-alpha 2b allele rather than arising from mutations occurring in cultured cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Wellcome Foundation, Ltd., Beckenham, Kent, England.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gewert
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thursz
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Crowe
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000235:genetics; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004247:DNA