JBC, Vol. 253, Issue 1, 12-15, Jan, 1978
Selective restriction endonuclease cleavage of human globin genes
S. H. Orkin
Double-stranded human globin DNA synthesized in vitro from sickle cell mRNA
has been used as a substrate for a series of restriction endonucleases. The
double-stranded DNA contained full length transcripts of the alpha- and
beta- globin genes. Of the 10 enzymes tested, only 3 (Hpa I, Sal I, and Kpn
I) failed to cleave either alpha- or beta-DNA; 2 (Eco RI and Bam HI)
cleaved only beta-DNA; 3 (HindIII, Hpa II, and Hha I) cleaved only
alpha-DNA; and 2 (Hae III and Alu I) cleaved both alpha- and beta-DNAs. The
selective cleavage of human globin genes by restriction endonucleases
should provide a strategy for the identification and purification of DNA
fragments of genomic DNA containing globin genes plus their flanking
sequences, simplify the preparation of pure, chain-specific globin probes,
and permit the isolation of DNA probes for specific regions of the globin
genes.