Chromosomal assignment of the Bcl2-related genes, Bcl2l and Bax, in the mouse and rat

The Bcl2-related genes, Bax and Bcl2l (formerly called Bclx), are involved in the regulation of apoptotic cell death, and the chromosome location of these two genes was determined in the mouse and rat by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Bcl2l was localized to mouse chromosome 2H1 and rat chromosome 3q41.2, and Bax was localized to mouse chromosome 7B5 and rat chromosome 1q31.2. Both genes mapped in a region of conserved linkage homology between the two the species. Molecular linkage analysis using interspecific backcross mice revealed the murine Bcl2l locus at 0.7 cM terminal to D2Mit22, and the murine Bax locus at 0.8 cM terminal to D7Nds5.