PCR amplification and physical localization of the genes for pig FSHB and LHB

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are members of the glycoprotein hormone family and play essential roles in gametogenesis and sexual development of mammals. Fragments of the porcine genes coding for the beta subunits of FSH and LH were amplified by PCR and used as probes for radioactive in situ hybridization in order to map these loci in the pig. Primers were chosen on the genomic DNA nucleotide sequences of FSHB and LHB as published in GenBank. Fragments of 1,127 bp (FSHB) and 1,239 bp (LHB) were cloned and verified by sequencing. FSHB was localized to pig chromosome bands 2p1.6-->p1.2 and LHB to pig chromosome band 6q2.1. The localization of LHB to the so-called halothane region of chromosome 6 could be expected from comparative mapping data. For FSHB, no conclusions can be drawn in this respect since, up to the present, too few genes are located on porcine chromosome 2.