Mouse alpha-globin genes and alpha-globin-like pseudogenes are not syntenic.

Abstract

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 3 independent mutations in which the adult globin genes .alpha.-1 and .alpha.-2 were deleted. Apparently, .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. The adult .alpha.-globin genes and .alpha.-globin-like pseudogenes evidently 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 3 independently induced deletion-type mutations that cause .alpha.-thalassemia in the mouse.