The structure of the human gene for deoxyribonuclease II (DNase
II; EC 3.1.22.1) was
determined using several specific primers based on the human DNase II cDNA
sequence [Yasuda et
al. (1998). J. Biol. Chem.273, 2610–2616]
in a polymerase chain reaction-based strategy. The gene
spanned about 6 kb and consisted of 6 exons. No canonical TATA or CAAT
boxes could be identified
within the 1341 nucleotides upstream of the putative transcription start
site, although the 5′-flanking
region contained a CpG island and several putative binding motifs for transcription
factors
Sp1 and ETF. These properties indicate that the DNase II gene is a housekeeping
gene and this is
compatible with its ubiquitous expression in human tissues. Three different
cleavage/polyadenylation
sites were identified in the 3′-flanking region, leading to the production
of multiple DNase II mRNA
species. However, a comparison of the entire translated sequences of the
gene from a pair of subjects
with homozygous DNase II phenotypes H and L revealed no differences in
the nucleotide sequences.