Structure and chromosomal locations of mouse steroid receptor coactivator gene family

The newly recognized steroid receptor coactivators (SRC-1, SRC-2, and SRC-3) belong to a homologous gene family and are important transcriptional mediators for nuclear receptors. Through fluorescence in situ hybridization, we have mapped the mouse SRC-1, SRC-2, and SRC-3 genes to chromosomal locations 12A2-A3, 1A3-A5, and 2H2-H4, respectively. By screening a mouse genomic DNA library, performing long-range polymerase chain reaction and sequencing, we have cloned and characterized the mouse SRC-3 gene. The SRC-3 gene contains 19 exons and spans more than 38 kilobases (kb). Intron sizes are variable. Intron 1 (13.5 kb) and intron 15 (4.6 kb) contribute to almost half the total length of the gene. Among 20 exons identified, exon 10 is the largest (869 bp) and encodes the receptor interaction domain. The start and stop codons for translation are in exon 2 and 20, respectively. The relationship between SRC-3 gene structure and its functional protein domains suggests that many functional domains or subdomains are encoded by individual exons. The correlation between gene structure and alternative splice variants is also discussed. In summary, we have defined the structure of mouse SRC-3 gene and found that the genes in the SRC family are located in different mouse chromosomes. This information is important for developing valuable animal models harboring multiple disruptions of the SRC gene family to study their biological functions.