Two acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase genes located in the t-complex region of mouse chromosome 17 partially overlap the Tcp-1 and Tcp-1x genes.

The Tcp-1 gene is located in the t-complex region of mouse chromosome 17 and on the long arm of human chromosome 6. In the mouse, a related gene, Tcp-1x, is tightly linked to Tcp-1. It is shown here that two genes located 3' to the murine Tcp-1 and Tcp-1x genes code for proteins highly homologous to acetyl-CoA acetyltransferases. These genes (Acat-1 and Acat-2) are in the opposite orientation to the Tcp-1 genes, and transcription results in mRNA species that contain the last exon of Tcp-1 or Tcp-1x within the 3' untranslated region of the respective Acat mRNA. Both Acat genes appear to be transcribed in several mouse tissues. An ACAT gene also overlaps the TCP1 gene in humans, suggesting that this close linkage may have some functional significance.