Copy number of a human type I alpha 2 collagen gene.

HpCl, a Charon 4A bacteriophage containing a 16.3-kilobase insert of human genomic DNA, has been identified as representing the 3' portion of the human alpha 2(I) collagen gene by hybrid selected translation and cross-reactivity with characterized sheep and chick collagen genes. Evaluation of HpCl by restriction endonuclease mapping and alpha 2(I) mRNA hybridization demonstrated that the alpha 2(I) mRNA coding regions are separated by noncoding regions including one of 2.7 kilobase pairs near the 3' end of the mRNA coding region. In addition, a 1.8-kilobase XbaI-BamHI fragment containing the 2' a 1.8-kilobase XbaI-BamHI fragment containing the 3' end of the alpha 2(I) mRNA coding region includes a region of DNA that is repeated many times throughout the human genome. Quantification of alpha 2(I) gene number, using the technique of DNA dot hybridization, with two EcoRI fragments from HpClo as probes, demonstrated that HpCl is represented once in the human genome. In this context, it is unlikely that human alpha 2(I) collagen chain production is modulated by differential transcription of multiple alpha 2(I) genes.