Genomic cloning and chromosomal localization of HRY, the human homolog to the Drosophila segmentation gene, hairy.

The Drosophila hairy gene encodes a basic helix-loop-helix protein that functions in at least two steps during Drosophila development: (1) during embryogenesis, when it partakes in the establishment of segments, and (2) during the larval stage, when it functions negatively in determining the pattern of sensory bristles on the adult fly. In the rat, a structurally homologous gene (RHL) behaves as an immediate-early gene in its response to growth factors and can, like that in Drosophila, suppress neuronal differentiation events. Here, we report the genomic cloning of the human hairy gene homolog (HRY). The coding region of the gene is contained within four exons. The predicted amino acid sequence reveals only four amino acid differences between the human and rat genes. Analysis of the DNA sequence 5' to the coding region reveals a putative untranslated exon. To increase the value of the HRY gene as a genetic marker and to assess its potential involvement in genetic disorders, we sublocalized the locus to chromosome 3q28-q29 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.