Skip to main content
Journal of Medical Genetics logoLink to Journal of Medical Genetics
. 1987 Jan;24(1):39–46. doi: 10.1136/jmg.24.1.39

High resolution gene mapping of the human alpha globin locus.

R D Nicholls, J A Jonasson, J O McGee, S Patil, V V Ionasescu, D J Weatherall, D R Higgs
PMCID: PMC1049854  PMID: 2879933

Abstract

A combination of polymorphic DNA markers, cytogenetic analysis, and in situ hybridisation has been used for the high resolution assignment of the human alpha globin gene cluster on chromosome 16. Multiallelic DNA probes from within the alpha globin cluster were used to determine the number of copies of this locus in three cell lines containing trisomies of the short arm of chromosome 16 and one with a familial inversion, inv(16). The breakpoints in these rearrangements flank the alpha globin locus and locate a shortest region of overlap to 16p13.1. A meiotic crossover was also localised to this band. In situ hybridisation of biotinylated DNA probes to normal and inverted chromosomes 16 [inv(16)(p13.1;q22)] showed hybridisation sites at opposite ends of the chromosomes, consistent with this regional localisation.

Full text

PDF
39

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Antonarakis S. E., Kittur S. D., Metaxotou C., Watkins P. C., Patel A. S. Analysis of DNA haplotypes suggests a genetic predisposition to trisomy 21 associated with DNA sequences on chromosome 21. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 May;82(10):3360–3364. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.10.3360. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barton P., Malcolm S., Murphy C., Ferguson-Smith M. A. Localization of the human alpha-globin gene cluster to the short arm of chromosome 16 (16p12-16pter) by hybridization in situ. J Mol Biol. 1982 Apr 5;156(2):269–278. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90328-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berger R., Bernheim A., Daniel M. T., Valensi F., Sigaux F., Flandrin G. Cytogenetic studies on acute myelomonocytic leukaemia (M4) with eosinophilia. Leuk Res. 1985;9(2):279–288. doi: 10.1016/0145-2126(85)90090-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Botstein D., White R. L., Skolnick M., Davis R. W. Construction of a genetic linkage map in man using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Am J Hum Genet. 1980 May;32(3):314–331. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Buckle V. J., Edwards J. H., Evans E. P., Jonasson J. A., Lyon M. F., Peters J., Searle A. G., Wedd N. S. Chromosome maps of man and mouse II. Clin Genet. 1984 Jul;26(1):1–11. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.1984.tb00780.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Burns J., Chan V. T., Jonasson J. A., Fleming K. A., Taylor S., McGee J. O. Sensitive system for visualising biotinylated DNA probes hybridised in situ: rapid sex determination of intact cells. J Clin Pathol. 1985 Oct;38(10):1085–1092. doi: 10.1136/jcp.38.10.1085. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cavenee W. K., Dryja T. P., Phillips R. A., Benedict W. F., Godbout R., Gallie B. L., Murphree A. L., Strong L. C., White R. L. Expression of recessive alleles by chromosomal mechanisms in retinoblastoma. 1983 Oct 27-Nov 2Nature. 305(5937):779–784. doi: 10.1038/305779a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chan V. T., Fleming K. A., McGee J. O. Detection of sub-picogram quantities of specific DNA sequences on blot hybridization with biotinylated probes. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Nov 25;13(22):8083–8091. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.22.8083. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Collins F. S., Weissman S. M. Directional cloning of DNA fragments at a large distance from an initial probe: a circularization method. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Nov;81(21):6812–6816. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.21.6812. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Deisseroth A., Nienhuis A., Turner P., Velez R., Anderson W. F., Ruddle F., Lawrence J., Creagan R., Kucherlapati R. Localization of the human alpha-globin structural gene to chromosome 16 in somatic cell hybrids by molecular hybridization assay. Cell. 1977 Sep;12(1):205–218. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(77)90198-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dracopoli N. C., Houghton A. N., Old L. J. Loss of polymorphic restriction fragments in malignant melanoma: implications for tumor heterogeneity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Mar;82(5):1470–1474. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.5.1470. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ferguson D. J., Burns J., Harrison D., Jonasson J. A., McGee J. O. Chromosomal localization of genes by scanning electron microscopy using in situ hybridization with biotinylated probes: Y chromosome repetitive sequences. Histochem J. 1986 May;18(5):266–270. doi: 10.1007/BF01676236. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fonatsch C. New chromosome polymorphism: inv(16)(p11q12 or 13). Cytogenet Cell Genet. 1977;18(2):106–107. doi: 10.1159/000130754. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Goodbourn S. E., Higgs D. R., Clegg J. B., Weatherall D. J. Molecular basis of length polymorphism in the human zeta-globin gene complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Aug;80(16):5022–5026. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.16.5022. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Haslinger A., Karin M. Upstream promoter element of the human metallothionein-IIA gene can act like an enhancer element. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Dec;82(24):8572–8576. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.24.8572. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hassold T. J., Jacobs P. A. Trisomy in man. Annu Rev Genet. 1984;18:69–97. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.18.120184.000441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hassold T., Kumlin E., Takaesu N., Leppert M. Determination of the parental origin of sex-chromosome monosomy using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Am J Hum Genet. 1985 Sep;37(5):965–972. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Higgs D. R., Goodbourn S. E., Lamb J., Clegg J. B., Weatherall D. J., Proudfoot N. J. Alpha-thalassaemia caused by a polyadenylation signal mutation. Nature. 1983 Nov 24;306(5941):398–400. doi: 10.1038/306398a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Higgs D. R., Hill A. V., Bowden D. K., Weatherall D. J., Clegg J. B. Independent recombination events between the duplicated human alpha globin genes; implications for their concerted evolution. Nucleic Acids Res. 1984 Sep 25;12(18):6965–6977. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.18.6965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Higgs D. R., Wainscoat J. S., Flint J., Hill A. V., Thein S. L., Nicholls R. D., Teal H., Ayyub H., Peto T. E., Falusi A. G. Analysis of the human alpha-globin gene cluster reveals a highly informative genetic locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jul;83(14):5165–5169. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.14.5165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Higgs D. R., Weatherall D. J. Alpha-thalassemia. Curr Top Hematol. 1983;4:37–97. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Hogge D. E., Misawa S., Parsa N. Z., Pollak A., Testa J. R. Abnormalities of chromosome 16 in association with acute myelomonocytic leukemia and dysplastic bone marrow eosinophils. J Clin Oncol. 1984 Jun;2(6):550–557. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1984.2.6.550. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Jarman A. P., Nicholls R. D., Weatherall D. J., Clegg J. B., Higgs D. R. Molecular characterisation of a hypervariable region downstream of the human alpha-globin gene cluster. EMBO J. 1986 Aug;5(8):1857–1863. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04437.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Kazazian H. H., Jr, Antonarakis S. E., Wong C., Trusko S. P., Stetten G., Oliver M., Potter M. J., Gusella J. F., Watkins P. C. Ring chromosome 21: characterization of DNA sequences at sites of breakage and reunion. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1985;450:33–42. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1985.tb21481.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Keats B. Genetic mapping: chromosomes 6-22. Am J Hum Genet. 1982 Sep;34(5):730–742. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Koufos A., Hansen M. F., Copeland N. G., Jenkins N. A., Lampkin B. C., Cavenee W. K. Loss of heterozygosity in three embryonal tumours suggests a common pathogenetic mechanism. Nature. 1985 Jul 25;316(6026):330–334. doi: 10.1038/316330a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Le Beau M. M., Diaz M. O., Karin M., Rowley J. D. Metallothionein gene cluster is split by chromosome 16 rearrangements in myelomonocytic leukaemia. Nature. 1985 Feb 21;313(6004):709–711. doi: 10.1038/313709a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Le Beau M. M., Larson R. A., Bitter M. A., Vardiman J. W., Golomb H. M., Rowley J. D. Association of an inversion of chromosome 16 with abnormal marrow eosinophils in acute myelomonocytic leukemia. A unique cytogenetic-clinicopathological association. N Engl J Med. 1983 Sep 15;309(11):630–636. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198309153091103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Leder A., Swan D., Ruddle F., D'Eustachio P., Leder P. Dispersion of alpha-like globin genes of the mouse to three different chromosomes. Nature. 1981 Sep 17;293(5829):196–200. doi: 10.1038/293196a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Marks J., Shaw J. P., Shen C. K. Sequence organization and genomic complexity of primate theta 1 globin gene, a novel alpha-globin-like gene. Nature. 1986 Jun 19;321(6072):785–788. doi: 10.1038/321785a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Michelson A. M., Orkin S. H. Boundaries of gene conversion within the duplicated human alpha-globin genes. Concerted evolution by segmental recombination. J Biol Chem. 1983 Dec 25;258(24):15245–15254. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Miller K. Pericentric inversion 16 in man--a second case. Clin Genet. 1986 Feb;29(2):181–182. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.1986.tb01247.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Murphree A. L., Benedict W. F. Retinoblastoma: clues to human oncogenesis. Science. 1984 Mar 9;223(4640):1028–1033. doi: 10.1126/science.6320372. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Nicholls R. D., Higgs D. R., Clegg J. B., Weatherall D. J. Alpha zero-thalassemia due to recombination between the alpha 1-globin gene and an AluI repeat. Blood. 1985 Jun;65(6):1434–1438. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Nicholls R. D., Hill A. V., Clegg J. B., Higgs D. R. Direct cloning of specific genomic DNA sequences in plasmid libraries following fragment enrichment. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Nov 11;13(21):7569–7578. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.21.7569. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Popp R. A., Lalley P. A., Whitney J. B., 3rd, Anderson W. F. Mouse alpha-globin genes and alpha-globin-like pseudogenes are not syntenic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Oct;78(10):6362–6366. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.10.6362. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Raizis A. M., Becroft D. M., Shaw R. L., Reeve A. E. A mitotic recombination in Wilms tumor occurs between the parathyroid hormone locus and 11p13. Hum Genet. 1985;70(4):344–346. doi: 10.1007/BF00295375. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Reeders S. T., Breuning M. H., Corney G., Jeremiah S. J., Meera Khan P., Davies K. E., Hopkinson D. A., Pearson P. L., Weatherall D. J. Two genetic markers closely linked to adult polycystic kidney disease on chromosome 16. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986 Mar 29;292(6524):851–853. doi: 10.1136/bmj.292.6524.851. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Reeders S. T., Breuning M. H., Davies K. E., Nicholls R. D., Jarman A. P., Higgs D. R., Pearson P. L., Weatherall D. J. A highly polymorphic DNA marker linked to adult polycystic kidney disease on chromosome 16. Nature. 1985 Oct 10;317(6037):542–544. doi: 10.1038/317542a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Savage J. R. Assignment of aberration breakpoints in banded chromosomes. Nature. 1977 Dec 8;270(5637):513–514. doi: 10.1038/270513a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Tantravahi R., Schwenn M., Henkle C., Nell M., Leavitt P. R., Griffin J. D., Weinstein H. J. A pericentric inversion of chromosome 16 is associated with dysplastic marrow eosinophils in acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Blood. 1984 Apr;63(4):800–802. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Weatherall D. J., Higgs D. R., Bunch C., Old J. M., Hunt D. M., Pressley L., Clegg J. B., Bethlenfalvay N. C., Sjolin S., Koler R. D. Hemoglobin H disease and mental retardation: a new syndrome or a remarkable coincidence? N Engl J Med. 1981 Sep 10;305(11):607–612. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198109103051103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Winsor E. J., Palmer C. G., Ellis P. M., Hunter J. L., Ferguson-Smith M. A. Meiotic analysis of a pericentric inversion, inv(7) (p22q32), in the father of a child with a duplication-deletion of chromosome 7. Cytogenet Cell Genet. 1978;20(1-6):169–184. doi: 10.1159/000130849. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Medical Genetics are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES