Polymorphic human somatostatin gene is located on chromosome 3.

Abstract

Somatostatin is a 14-amino-acid neuropeptide and hormone that inhibits the secretion of several peptide hormones. The human gene for somatostatin SST was cloned, and the sequence was determined. This clone was used as a probe in chromosome mapping studies to detect the human somatostatin sequence in human-rodent hybrids. Southern blot analysis of 41 hybrids, including some containing translocations of human chromosomes, placed SST in the q21 .fwdarw. qter region of chromosome 3. Human DNA from unrelated individuals were screened for restriction fragment polymorphisms detectable by the somatostatin gene probe. Two polymorphisms were found: an EcoRI variant located at the 3'' end of the gene, found in Caucasian, USA Black and Asian populations with a frequency of .apprx. 0.10 and a BamHI variant in the intron, which occurs in Caucasians at a frequency of 0.13.