The apolipoprotein C2-linked (Acl) gene: a new gene within the mouse apolipoprotein e-c1-c2 gene cluster.

The apolipoprotein E, C1, and C2 genes are contained within a gene cluster in man. Previously, we have shown that this gene cluster has a similar structure in mouse. During the characterization of the mouse Apoc2 gene, evolutionarily conserved and transcribed sequences were found 5' of the Apoc2 gene. In this study, we have shown that these 5' sequences represent a novel gene within the gene cluster designated the apolipoprotein C2-linked gene (Acl). The Acl gene is located 2 kb 5' to the Apoc2 gene. The transcriptional orientation is identical to that of the other genes within the Apoe-c1-c2 gene cluster. We have sequenced the mouse Acl gene at the cDNA and the genomic levels. The gene is composed of three exons spanning a region of approximately 3.6 kb. The Acl gene is expressed in the liver as a transcript 473 bp in size and encodes a putative protein of 124 amino acid residues.