Genomic Organization And Chromosomal Mapping Of The Bovine Fas/Apo-1 Gene

The cell-surface protein Fas (APO-1) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily and transduces apoptosis following binding of Fas ligand or exposure to certain anti-Fas antibodies, We have isolated the bovine Fas (bFas) gene and determined its genomic organization and chromosomal location, Our data indicate that bFas is a single-copy gene that contains 9 exons and spans approximately 31.5 kb, The 5'-flanking region lacks conventional TATA and CCAAT elements, but contains several putative regulatory elements, including multiple copies of Sp1, AP-2, E-box, and N-box consensus sites, Linkage analysis of two (CA) dinucleotide repeat microsatellites within intron 1 and physical assignment by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) placed the bFas gene on bovine chromosome 26. Collectively, these data provide a basis for understanding the regulatory mechanisms that control bFas gene expression.