Gene encoding human growth hormone-releasing factor precursor: structure, sequence, and chromosomal assignment.

We have isolated and characterized overlapping clones from phage lambda and cosmid human genomic libraries that predict the entire structure of the gene encoding the precursor to human growth hormone-releasing factor. The gene includes five exons spanning 10 kilobase pairs of human genomic DNA. There appears to be a segregation of distinct functional regions of the GRF precursor and its mRNA into the five exons of the gene. The DNA sequences of all exons, intron/exon boundaries, and 5' and 3' flanking regions are presented. Dot-blot analysis of DNA from high resolution dual-laser-sorted human chromosomes indicates that the single-copy growth hormone-releasing factor gene is located on human chromosome 20.