Chromosomal localization of lipolytic enzymes in the mouse: pancreatic lipase, colipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, hepatic lipase, and carboxyl ester lipase.

Several lipases and their cofactors are involved in the absorption, transport, storage, and mobilization of lipids. As part of an effort to examine the role of these enzymes in plasma lipid metabolism and genetic susceptibility to atherosclerosis, we report the chromosomal mapping of their genes in mouse. Restriction fragment length variants for each gene were identified, typed in an interspecific cross, and tested for linkage to known chromosomal markers. The gene for pancreatic lipase resides on chromosome 19, while the gene for its cofactor, colipase, is on chromosome 17. A gene for a protein with sequence similarity to pancreatic lipase was tightly linked (no observed recombination) to the gene for pancreatic lipase, suggesting a gene cluster. The gene for hormone-sensitive lipase is near the gene cluster containing apolipoproteins C-II and E on chromosome 7. The gene for hepatic lipase is near the gene for apolipoprotein A-I on chromosome 9. The carboxyl ester lipase gene resides on chromosome 2. Previously, we have mapped the gene for lipoprotein lipase to chromosome 8. Thus, with the exception of pancreatic lipase and a related protein, these lipase genes, including several that are members of a gene family, are widely dispersed in the genome. Comparison of chromosomal locations for these genes in mouse and humans shows that the previously observed interspecies syntenies are preserved.