Murine chromosomal location of five bHLH-Zip transcription factor genes

The genes for the bHLH-Zip transcription factors Tfap4, Mxi1, Tcfeb, Usf1, and Usf2 have been mapped in mouse by interspecific backcross analysis. Mxi1, Usf1, and Usf2 have been mapped previously by in situ hybridization, but their positions on the meiotic linkage map had not been determined. The other two genes have not previously been mapped in mouse. These transcription factors belong to a growing family of transcriptional regulators, some of which are known to form a complex network of interacting proteins that control cell proliferation and apoptosis. As expected, based on mapping studies of other bHLH-Zip genes, these loci were well distributed among mouse chromosomes. In addition, some of the probes used in this study detected multiple, independently segregating loci, suggesting the possible existence of additional family members or species-specific pseudogenes.