Assignment of the gene for acid beta-glucosidase to human chromosome 1

The structural gene for human acid beta-glucosidase (GBA) has been assigned to chromosome 1 using somatic cell hybridization techniques for gene mapping. The human enzyme was detected in mouse RAG cell-human fibroblast cell hybrids by a sensitive double antibody immunoprecipitation assay using a mouse antihuman GBA antibody. No cross-reactivity between mouse beta-glucosidase and human GBA or neutral beta-glucosidase (GBN) was observed. Fifty-two primary, secondary, and tertiary manmouse hybrid lines, derived from three separate fusion experiments, were analyzed for human GBA and enzyme markers for the human chromosomes. Without exception, the presence of human GBA in these hybrid clones was correlated with the presence of human chromosome 1 or its enzymatic markers, phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1), and fumarate hydratase (FH). All other human chromosomes were eliminated by the independent segregation of GBA and their respective enzyme markers and/or chromosomes. Using a RAG X human fibroblast line with a mouse-human rearrangement of human chromosome 1, the locus for GBA was limited to the region 1p11 to 1qter.