Localization of the murine leukemia inhibitory factor gene near the centromere on chromosome 11.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a glycoprotein with divergent activities: It induces the differentiation of certain myeloid leukemic cells, inhibits the differentiation of embryonic stem cells, and promotes bone remodelling in vivo and in vitro. The murine LIF gene has been assigned to the proximal region of chromosome 11 at sub-bands A1-A2, by analysis of a panel of mouse x Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids and by in situ hybridization. Interestingly, the proximal portion of chromosome 11 has been shown, by virtue of its parental origin effects, to contain gene(s) involved in fetal growth. It is also interesting that there is a preponderance of chromosome 11 abnormalities in embryonal carcinoma cells. The localization of the murine LIF gene confirms the homology of a portion of murine chromosome 11 with human chromosome 22q, the site of the human LIF gene.