Identification of a novel highly conserved gene in the centromeric part of the major histocompatibility complex.

A novel highly conserved gene designated Sacm2l alias Are1) has been identified and fine mapped in the centromeric part of the major histocompatibility complex in rat, human, and mouse. Sacm2l is closely linked to the ribosomal protein S18 gene Rps18 with a distance of about 450 bp between the respective translational start points. Numerous Sacm2l-homologous EST sequences can be identified in the database. Northern blot experiments of rat Sacm2l revealed a transcript of 3 kb in each organ tested, and by RT-PCR differentially spliced products could be detected in testis RNA. The deduced amino acid sequence of the rat Sacm2l gene shows a putative coiled-coil region and significant homology to a putative Caenorhabditis elegans protein and the yeast SAC2 protein.