Organization and evolution of the Cyp2 gene cluster on mouse chromosome 7, and comparison with the syntenic human cluster.

Genes from the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily encode a diverse group of monooxygenases that play important roles in both endogenous processes and in the metabolism of exogenous compounds, including most drugs. A cluster of Cyp2 genes on mouse chromosome 7 was mapped and analyzed in detail and compared with the homologous cluster on human chromosome 19. The mouse cluster includes 22 loci from the same six CYP2 subfamilies--Cyp2a, Cyp2b, Cyp2f, Cyp2g, Cyp2s, Cyp2t--that are found in the human cluster. Twelve of these loci are functional genes, and 10 are pseudogenes. Parts of the mouse and human gene clusters are similarly arranged, but the data indicate that a significantly different series of duplication events created the modern gene organizations in the two species. The comparison of the mouse and human clusters provides new insights into the evolution of gene families, whereas the detailed analysis provides background information that should be informative for future studies on the expression, regulation, and function of specific mouse Cyp2 genes.