Physical and genetic mapping of the CDR gene with particular reference to its position with respect to the FRAXA site.

This study narrows down the localization of the gene coding for the cerebellar degeneration-related protein (CDR 34) to the upper boundary of the FRAXA and reports the finding of two common RFLPs respectively identified at an RsaI site flanking the 3' end of the gene and at a Hincll site flanking its 5' end. Segregation analysis carried out in the CEPH-pedigrees for the new CDR/RsaI-RFLP versus other polymorphic loci of the region has established a tight linkage with the markers DXS105/DX98 and absence of measurable linkage with two clusters of markers respectively located proximally to the FRAXA (F9, DXS102, DXS51, and DXS369) or distally to it (DXS52, DXS304). In addition, two recombinants were found among 23 scorable sibs identified in the Sardinian pedigrees segregating for the Martin-Bell Syndrome (MBS) and the CDR/RsaI variants. The overall evaluation of the in situ and genetic data reported suggest that the CDR locus 1) is located at the upper boundary of the FRAXA site; 2) is distal to DXS51 and proximal to DXS 389; and 3) segregates in a close linkage association with the loci DXS98 and DXS105 and, to a lesser extent, with the locus for MBS.