Assignment of the human tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase gene (WARS) to chromosome 14q32.2->q32.32

Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase catalyzes the aminoacylation of tRNA(trp) with tryptophan, an essential function in the cell's protein synthesis machinery. It has been shown that tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase is induced by interferon, and this has led to hypotheses about other possible functions of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase. We have mapped a cDNA probe of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase gene (WARS) by a combination of somatic cell hybrid analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and linkage analysis. Both FISH and linkage analysis independently supported a more distal position of WARS than had been previously reported. FISH mapping indicated a most likely location at 14q32.31. Linkage analysis was based on the 40 reference families from the CEPH collaboration and resulted in a 13-point map, placing WARS, with odds of more than 1,000:1, within an area of similar to 10 cM and, with odds of 198:1, in an similar to 6 cM interval between pCMM101 and D14S27. The study provides additional integration of the physical and genetic maps of the distal part of 14q, as well as genetic tools enabling a more complete understanding of the function of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase, especially with regard to the cryptic inducibility of interferon.