Two multigene superfamilies, named V1R and V2R, encoding seven-transmembrane-domain G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been identified as pheromone receptors in mammals. Three V2R gene families have been described in mouse and rat. Here we screened the updated mouse genome se- quence database and finally retrieved 63 putative functional V2R genes including three newly identified genes which formed a new additional family. We described the genomic organization of these genes and also characterized the conservation of mouse V2R protein sequences. These genomic and se- quence information we described are useful as part of the evidence to speculate the functional domain of V2Rs and should give aid to the functionality study in the future.
YANG Hui1,2 & Zhang YaPing1,3 1 Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
Congenital microphthalmia is a developmental ocular disorder and might be caused by the mutations in the genes involved in eye development. To uncover the genetic cause in a six-generation Chinese pedigree with autosomal dominant congenital microphthalmia, we performed genescan and linkage analysis in this family. Fourteen microsatellite markers on chromosomes 3, 11, 14 and 15 were selected as genetic markers according to the five pre-viously reported loci associated with microphthalmia (MITF, SOX2, PAX6, MCOP and NNO2). The genomic DNA of each member in the pedigree was amplified with 14 pairs of fluorescence labeled primers. Genome screening and genotyping were conducted on ABI377 DNA sequencer and linkage analysis was performed with Linkage software package. All two-point LOD scores of linkage analysis between the suggested disease genes and microsatellite markers were <-2, which indicated that none of the five genes were responsible for microphthalmia in this Chinese family. Microphthalmia in this family may be caused by mutation in a new gene which is essential in eye development.
