Organization and chromosomal localization of the human platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor gene.

Human platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (hPD-ECGF) is a novel angiogenic factor which stimulates endothelial cell growth in vitro and promotes angiogenesis in vivo. We report here the cloning and sequencing of the gene for hPD-ECGF and its flanking regions. This gene is composed of 10 exons dispersed over a 4.3-kb region. Its promoter lacks a TATA box and a CCAAT box, structures characteristic of eukaryotic promoters. Instead, six copies of potential Sp1-binding sites (GGGCGG or CCGCCC) were clustered just upstream of the transcription start sites. Southern blot analysis using genomic DNAs from several vertebrates suggested that the gene for PD-ECGF is conserved phylogenetically among vertebrates. The gene for hPD-ECGF was localized to chromosome 22 by analysis of a panel of human-rodent somatic cell hybrid lines.