The gene encoding human intestinal trefoil factor (TFF3) is located on chromosome 21q22.3 clustered with other members of the trefoil peptide family

The gene coding for human intestinal trefoil factor (hITF), a recently described cellular motogen produced by gastrointestinal goblet cells and epithelia elsewhere, is a member of the rapidly growing trefoil peptide family. In a rodent-human somatic cell hybrid panel, the hITF (HGMW-approved symbol TFF3) genomic locus segregated with human chromosome 21q. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a 2.1-kb genomic probe of the hITF gene mapped this locus more precisely to the q22.3 region. Triple fluorescence in situ hybridization, together with physical mapping of human genomic DNA using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, revealed that the hITF gene is tightly linked to those encoding the other known human trefoil peptides, namely the breast cancer estrogen-inducable gene pS2 (BCEI) and human spasmolytic polypeptide (hSP/SML1). This gene family could become a useful marker for the genetic and physical mapping of chromosome 21 and for a better definition of the region involved in the clinical phenotype of several genetic diseases. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.