Cloning of a new gene (FB19) within HLA class I region

A novel gene (named FB19) has been identified within the HLA class I region at human chromosome 6p21.3. A 4.5-kb cDNA containing a 2820-bp open reading frame for a predicted protein of 940 aa was identified. No homology with known gene was detected at the DNA level, while the predicted protein is characterized by a glycine-rich region followed by a domain of 35 residues that shows high homology with the CAT56 gene, another gene of MHC class I. A 4.5-kb transcript was detected in several tissues and cell lines, clearly indicating a wide distribution of expression. Once its function is defined, it could be possible to investigate the relationship between the FB19 gene and the several diseases already mapped within the HLA class I region.