Hemoglobin Miyada: DNA analysis of the anti-Lepore βδ fusion gene

Hemoglobin Miyada, an anti-Lepore hemoglobin, represents the protein product of a nonhomologous crossover between β and δ genes. The mutant globin is β-like from the N terminus to amino acid 12, and δ-like from amino acid 22 through the C terminus, thus predicting a crossover site in the first coding region of the gene. DNA analysis, using multiple restriction endonucleases and hybridization to δ and β globin gene-specific probes, confirms that the βδ hybrid gene 1) is located on a single chromosomal fragment between normal δ and β genes, and 2) has 5' β promoter sequences, δ IVS 1 and 2, and 3' coding and flanking sequences.