Isolation and structural mapping of a human c-src gene homologous to the transforming gene (v-src) of rous sarcoma virus

We have utilized a lambda Charon 4A human genomic library to isolate recombinant clones harboring a highly conserved c-src locus containing nucleotide sequences homologous to the transforming gene of Rous sarcoma virus (v-src). Four overlapping clones spanning 24 kilobases of cellular DNA were analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping. Human c-src sequences homologous to the entire v-src region are present in a 20-kilobase region that contains 11 exons as determined by restriction mapping studies utilizing hybridization to labeled DNA probes representing various subregions of the v-src gene and by preliminary DNA sequencing analyses. A considerable degree of similarity exists between the organization of the human c-src gene and that of the corresponding chicken c-src gene with respect to exon size and number. However, the human c-src locus is larger than the corresponding chicken c-src locus, because many human c-src introns are larger than those of chicken c-src. alu family repetitive sequences are present within several human c-src introns. This locus represents a highly conserved human c-src locus that is detectable in human cellular DNAs from various sources including placenta, HeLa cells, and WI-38 cells.