Identification and mapping of human histone acetylation modifier gene homologues

The products of histone acetyltransferase and deacetyltransferase genes regulate histone acetylation in eukaryotes, thereby regulating access of transcription factors to chromatin and modulating gene expression. Histone acetylation modifiers have been found to participate as cofactors in diverse mammalian transcriptional complexes involved in regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation. A role for histone acetylase has been implicated in leukemias and developmental disorders. To gain insight into a role of additional potential histone acetylation modifier genes in human disease, we identified six histone acetyl-transferase or deacetyltransferase homologues using the dbEST database, and we mapped, using high-resolution FISH, a total of five family members to 1p34.3, 6q21-q22, 5q31, 3p24, and 17q21. We then identified human genetic disorders for which candidate genes are not yet known and that have been mapped to the same chromosomal regions as the histone acetylation modifiers. This analysis may help identify new candidate genes for human diseases that involve disturbances of histone acetylation.