Chromosomal Location and Some Structural Features of Human Clathrin Light-Chain Genes (CLTA and CLTB)

Two human clathrin light-chain genes have been defined. The gene (CLTA) encoding the LCa light chain maps to the long arm of chromosome 12 at 12q23-q24 and that encoding the LCb light chain (CLTB) maps to the long arm of chromosome 4 at 4q2-q3. Isolation and characterization of partial genomic clones encoding human LCa and LCb reveal the neuron-specific insertions of the LCa and LCb proteins to he encoded by discrete exons, thus proving that clathrin light chains undergo alternate mRNA splicing to generate tissue-specific protein isoforms. The insertion sequence of LCb is encoded by a single exon and that of LCa by two exons. The first of the two neuron-specific LCa exons is homologous to the corresponding LCb exon. An intronic sequence of the LCb gene with similarity to the second neuron-specific exon of the LCa gene has been identified.