The same "TATA" box beta-thalassemia mutation in Chinese and US blacks: another example of independent origins of mutation.

A Chinese beta +-thalassemia gene in a new haplotype was chosen for cloning and sequencing. The mutation identified was an A-G transition at position -29 in the TATA box of the beta-globin gene. This mutation has not been seen previously in Chinese but has been documented in American blacks on a different chromosomal background. This observation provides further evidence for independent origins of the same mutation in distinct ethnic groups.