The genomic organization of the murine Mlc1 (Wkl1, KIAA0027) gene

The human MLC1( WKL1, KIAA0027) gene encodes a putative transmembrane protein expressed exclusively in brain. Recessive mutations within this gene cause megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC, MIM 604004, 605908). Furthermore, a missense mutation in this gene is suggestively linked with hereditary catatonic schizophrenia in a large pedigree. The murine gene Mlc1is composed of 12 exons spanning approximately 20 kb, and all exon-intron boundaries conform to the GT/AG consensus. The single copy transcript after splicing is approximately 2.8 kb in length, it contains 496 bp of 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR) and 1143 bp of 3'-UTR, and encodes a protein of 382 amino acids. Potential binding sites for transcription factors including CCAAT-boxes are present in the 5'-flanking region. Fluorescent in situ hybridization localizes the gene to mouse chromosome 15E-F, a region syntenic to human chromosome 22q13. The characterization of the genomic structure of the murine gene will facilitate studies of gene function and physiological properties of the encoded protein in transgenic mouse models.