ISOLATION OF CDNAS FOR MOUSE PHENOL AND BILIRUBIN UDP-GLUCURONOSYLTRANSFERASES AND MAPPING OF THE MOUSE GENE FOR PHENOL UDP-GLUCURONOSYLTRANSFERASE (UGTLA1) TO CHROMOSOME-1 BY RESTRICTION FRAGMENT LENGTH VARIATIONS

The mouse gene for phenol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT; Ugtla1) was mapped at 42 cM on chromsome 1, a position identical to that of the gene for bilirubin UDPGT (Ugtla1), from linkage analysis of a three-point cross test with Idh-1, En-1 and Ugtla1 as marker genes. The cDNAs for mouse phenol and bilirubin UDPGTs, isolated after amplification by PCR, shared an identical 3'-half region. Our results strongly suggest that mouse bilirubin and phenol UDPGTs are expressed from a single gene and involve alternative splicing events. We also detected duplication of the gene for phenol UDPGT in all mouse strains examined with the exception of MOL-MIT and SUB-SHH.