Open AccessGene deletions in alpha thalassemia prove that the 5' zeta locus is functional.
Author(s) -
L. Pressley,
Douglas R. Higgs,
J. B. Clegg,
David Weatherall
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.77.6.3586
Subject(s) - gene , locus (genetics) , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , globin , thalassemia , biology , endonuclease , alpha globulin
The deletions in the zeta-alpha globin gene cluster in two infants with the hemoglobin Bart's hydrops fetalis syndrome (homozygous alpha thalassemia 1) have been mapped by restriction endonuclease analysis using a zeta-specific probe. DNA from a Thai infant lacked the psi alpha 1 gene and both alpha genes, but the zeta genes were present. A Greek infant's DNA had also lost the 3' zeta 1 gene. Because zeta globin was synthesized in the infant's cord blood, this indicates that the 5' zeta 2 gene recently identified by Lauer et al. [Lauer, J., Shen, C. J. & Maniatis, T. (1980) Cell, in press] must be functional.