CHROMOSOMAL MAPPING AND EXPRESSION LEVELS OF A MOUSE SOLUBLE EPOXIDE HYDROLASE GENE

The chromosomal location of a murine soluble epoxide hydrolase gene was determined using in situ mapping, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) analysis. In situ hybridization to mouse metaphase chromosomes using a soluble epoxide hydrolase cDNA probe showed that soluble epoxide hydrolase maps at band D of chromosome 14. An RFLP found between Mus castaneus (CAST) and Mus musculus (MEV) was used to map the soluble epoxide hydrolase gene in CAST x MEV intersubspecific testcross progeny to 14 cM from the Np-1 locus on mouse chromosome 14. SSLP markers were then used to confirm the location of soluble epoxide hydrolase at 14.0 +/- 3.7 cM distal to Np-1 and 19.2 +/- 4.3 cM proximal to D14Mit7. This region of mouse chromosome 14 is homologous with human chromosomes 8, 13 and 14. Enzyme assays and immunoblotting results suggest significant quantitative differences in expression of soluble epoxide hydrolase among three mouse strains. Northern blotting analysis showed that soluble epoxide hydrolase mRNA levels were correlated with the relative level of soluble epoxide hydrolase enzyme activity and soluble epoxide hydrolase protein in all three mouse strains.