Assignement of the UroKinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor Gene (PLAUR) to Chromosome 19q13.1-19q13.2

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a key molecule in the regulation of cell-surface plasminogen activation and, as such, plays an important role in many normal as well as pathological processes. We applied a cDNA probe from the corresponding gene (PLAUR) in a location analysis using a panel of human/rodent cell hybrids and in a multipoint linkage analysis of 40 CEPH families. These two independent studies both found PLAUR to be located on chromosome 19. The cell hybrid study suggested that PLAUR is located at chromosome 19q13-qter, and the multipoint analysis indicated that PLAUR is located at chromosome 19q13.1-q13.2 and surrounded by DNA markers in the following way (with distances given in recombination fractions): D19S27-.11-CYP2A-.06-PLAUR-.03-D19S8-.04-APOC2-.24-PRKCG. Further, a ligand-binding study performed on cell hybrids verified the species specificity of the uPAR and confirmed the chromosome assignment.