C18orf2, a novel, highly conserved intronless gene within intron 5 of the GNAL gene on chromosome 18p11.

We have characterized a novel intronless human gene (C18orf2) which is embedded in intron 5 of the G-protein gene (GNAL) on chromosome 18p11. This gene codes for a 199 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular weight of 22.1 kDa. It is highly homologous to a number of predicted developmental proteins in organisms ranging from yeasts to Drosophila. C18orf2 mRNA was found to be expressed in various tissues.