LOCALIZATION OF THE GENE (RSN) CODING FOR RESTIN, A MARKER FOR REED-STERNBERG CELLS IN HODGKINS-DISEASE, TO HUMAN-CHROMOSOME BAND 12Q24.3 AND YAC CLONING OF THE LOCUS

A novel 160-kDa intermediate filament associated protein, named restin (Reed-Sternberg intermediate filament associated protein), is specifically expressed in the malignant cells of Hodgkin's disease and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (Ki-1 lymphoma). The combination of chromosomal R-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with the use of two fluorescent dyes, fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide, allowed simultaneous detection of the hybridized DNA sequence and chromosomal R-banding. By this technique, the gene coding for restin (RSN) was assigned to chromosome region 12q24.31 --> q24.33, while localization of the alpha-2-macroglobulin receptor (A2MR) was refined to 12q13.1 --> q13.3. To further analyze the restin gene, a 500-kb YAC clone containing the gene was isolated and analyzed. A restriction map of this area is presented.