Abstract

We have further regionally localized the gene for human acid alpha glucosidase (GAA) to 17q21----q23 by examination of hybrid clones derived from a fusion between human fibroblasts carrying a 17/19 balanced translocation (17pter----17q23::19p13.3----19pter; 19qter----p13.3::17q23----17qter) and a mouse line deficient in thymidine kinase. These hybrids were constantly maintained in HAT selective media in order to select for the presence of the human thymidine kinase gene on the intact chromosome 17 (17q21-q22) or the 17/19 (17pter----17q23::19p13.3----19pter) translocation chromosome. We detected human GAA by rocket immunoelectrophoresis, using a human specific heterologous antibody raised against human acid alpha glucosidase (GAA) (Honig et al. 1984). Three secondary clones, which contained the 17/19 translocation and no intact chromosome 17 or 19, were still positive for GAA. Two of these secondary clones contained the distal portion of the 17/19 translocation chromosome, with a break in the band 17q21 (probably at 17q21.2), attached to a mouse chromosome. Combined with earlier results (Weil et al. 1979; Nickel et al. 1982; Honig et al. 1984), the gene for GAA can be assigned to 17q21.2----17q23. Additionally, these clones were negative for human peptidase D (PEPD), alpha mannosidase B (MANB), and phosphohexose isomerase (PHI). Combined with previous results (Ingram et al. 1977; Bruns et al. 1979), these results exclude the genes for PEPD and MANB from 19pter----19p13.3 and confirm the exclusion of the gene for PHI from this segment of chromosome 19 (Wilson et al. 1984; Ingram et al. 1977).