Nucleotide sequences of the 3'-terminal untranslated region of messenger RNA for human beta globin chain.

In normal messenger RNA for the human beta-globin chain, nucleotide sequences have been identified which can be matched to the amino-acid sequence of the abnormally long segment of the beta-chain of hemoglobin Cranston. The finding of these sequences strengthens the hypothesis that the betaCranston chain arose by a frameshift mutation allowing the "readthrough" of the normal termination codon and translation of usually untranslated portions of the messenger RNA for the beta-globin chain. The oligonucleotides which match the amino-acid sequence of hemoglobin Cranston provide a sequence of 36 nucleotides which follows the normal beta-chain termination codon UAA.