Fine mapping of the human pentraxin gene region on chromosome 1q23

The 1q21 to 25 region of human chromosome 1 contains genes which encode proteins with immune- and inflammation-associated functions. These include the pentraxin genes, for C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid P (SAP) protein (APCS), and a CRP pseudogene (CRPP1). The region of chromosome 1 containing this cluster is syntenic with distal mouse chromosome 1. We constructed an approximately 1.4 megabase yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig with the pentraxin genes at its core. This four-YAC contig includes other genes with immune functions including the FCER1A gene, which encodes the alpha-subunit of the IgE high-affinity Fe receptor and the IFI-16 gene, an interferon-gamma-induced gene. In addition, it contains the histone H3F2 and H4F2 genes and the gene for erythroid alpha-spectrin (SPTA1). The gene order is cen.-SPTA1-H4F2-H3F2-IFI-16-CRP-CRPP1-APCS-FCER1A- tel. The contig thus consists of a cluster of genes whose products either have immunological importance, bind DNA, or both.