Duplication followed by deletion accounts for the structure of an Indian deletion beta (0)-thalassemia gene.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a cloned deletion beta-globin gene from a patient with beta(0)-thalassemia demonstrates a 619 nucleotide deletion extending from the 3' third of the second intervening sequence through 209 bases of 3' flanking DNA. However, an additional novel heptanucleotide was identified between the deletion endpoints, suggesting a complex etiology for this rearrangement.