Mapping of caspase-2 in the rat and its exclusion as a candidate gene for lymphopenia.
Caspase-2 is a member of the caspase family of cystein proteases involved in programmed cell death or apoptosis. Functional and genetic data suggest it as a candidate gene for lymphopenia (Lyp)-a susceptibility gene for rat diabetes-which is responsible for the T-cell lymphopenia in the diabetes-prone BB rat. Firstly, there is a higher frequency of apoptosis among recent thymic emigrants in the diabetes-prone BB rat than in the non-lymphopenic diabetes-resistant BB rat. Secondly, caspase-2 maps close to Tcrb on mouse Chromosome (Chr) 6, while Lyp is closely linked to Tcrb on the homologous rat Chr 4. In this paper, we report genetic fine-positioning and radiation hybrid mapping of caspase-2 in the rat. Both methods positioned caspase-2 to rat Chr 4 between markers Prss1 and D4Mit5. Since Lyp maps distally to D4Mit5, between markers D4Rat75 and Npy, we exclude caspase-2 as a candidate gene for Lyp.
Department of Immunogenetics, Hagedorn Research Institute, Niels Steensens Vej 6, DK-2820 Gentofte, Denmark.
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Hornum
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Rasmussen
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Markholst
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D053143:Caspase 2; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004247:DNA; D053143:Caspase 2; D020169:Caspases