Genomic organization and mapping of the human activin receptor type IIB (hActR-IIB) gene

Activins, members of a family of proteins that includes transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), are gonadal polypeptide hormones that stimulate secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). During large-scale sequencing analysis of a 1.2-Mb fragment of human genomic DNA on 3p22-p21.3, we found the gene encoding activin receptor type IIB (hActR-IIB). Comparison of its reported cDNA sequence with this genomic sequence showed that the hActR-IIB gene consists of 11 exons and spans about 30 kb of genomic DNA.