Stem cell factor (SCF), a novel hematopoietic growth factor and ligand for c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor, maps on human chromosome 12 between 12q14.3 and 12qter

Abstract

Recently a novel hematopoietic growth factor, stem cell factor (SCF), was cloned and demonstrated to be the ligand for the c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor. In the mouse, SCF is encoded bySl (steel), a gene critical to the development of several distinct cell lineages during embryonic life and which has important effects on hematopoiesis in the adult animal. TheS1/SCF locus maps to the distal region of mouse chromosome 10, in the vicinity of genes that have been mapped to human chromosome 12. Here we report the use of somatic cell hybrid lines to localizeSCF to the long arm of human chromosome 12, between 12q14.3 and 12qter. In addition to localizing theSl homolog in man, these data provide further evidence for the conservation of synteny between the long arm of human chromosome 12 and the distal end of mouse chromosome 10.