Genetic mapping of four mouse bHLH genes related to Drosophila proneural gene atonal.

It has been shown that mammalian neurogenesis is partly controlled by multiple basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes, as in Drosophila. Recently, mouse homologs of Drosophila atonal, a proneural gene encoding a bHLH protein required for chordotonal organ and photoreceptor development, have been characterized to obtain further insights into the molecular nature of mammalian neurogenesis. Here, to assess their potential involvement in genetic neural disorders, we have determined genetic map positions for four mouse atonal-related genes, Atoh1, Atoh2, Atoh3, and Ndrf, which encode MATH-1, MATH-2, MATH-3, and NDRF, respectively. Interspecific backcross analysis indicated that Atoh1 and Atoh2 were located in separate positions of Chr 6 and that Atoh3 and Ndrf were mapped to Chr 10 and Chr 11, respectively. Thus, these structurally related genes are located separately on multiple chromosomes.