Characterization of the 5'-flanking region for the human fibrinogen beta gene

To identify the possible regulatory sequences in the genetic expression of fibrinogen, a human genomic DNA library raised in lambda EMBL 4 phage was screened using cDNA probes coding for the A alpha, B beta and gamma chains of human fibrinogen. The entire fibrinogen locus was characterized and its organization analysed by means of hybridization and restriction mapping. Among the clones identified, a single recombinant lambda phage contained the beta gene and its 5'- and 3'-flanking regions. A 1.5 kb fragment of the immediate 5'-flanking region was sequenced and S1 mapping experiments revealed three transcription start points. Comparison of this sequence with that previously reported for the same region upstream from the human gamma gene revealed no significant homology which suggests that the potential promoting sequences of these genes are different. In contrast, comparison of the 5'-flanking regions of human and rat beta genes revealed a 142 bp sequence of 80% homology situated 16 bp upstream from the human beta gene. This highly conserved region may well represents a potential candidate for a regulatory sequence of the human beta gene.