Differences in the structure and function of the α- and β-globin gene clusters
| Characteristic . | α-globin cluster . | β-globin cluster . |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 16p13.3 telomeric | 11p15.5 interstitial |
| Guanine-cytosine content | 54% | 39.5% |
| Cytosine guanine dinucleotide-rich islands | Common | None |
| Gene density | High | Low |
| Chromatin | Open | Closed |
| Replication timing | Early | Late |
| Predominant mutations | Deletions | Point mutations |
| Evolution of intergenic regions | Rapid | Slow |
| Expression in hybrids | Early | Late |
| Binding of polycomb repressive complex | Present | Absent |
| H3K27me3 chromatin modification | Present | Absent |
| JMJD3 enzyme | Recruited | Not recruited |
| Characteristic . | α-globin cluster . | β-globin cluster . |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 16p13.3 telomeric | 11p15.5 interstitial |
| Guanine-cytosine content | 54% | 39.5% |
| Cytosine guanine dinucleotide-rich islands | Common | None |
| Gene density | High | Low |
| Chromatin | Open | Closed |
| Replication timing | Early | Late |
| Predominant mutations | Deletions | Point mutations |
| Evolution of intergenic regions | Rapid | Slow |
| Expression in hybrids | Early | Late |
| Binding of polycomb repressive complex | Present | Absent |
| H3K27me3 chromatin modification | Present | Absent |
| JMJD3 enzyme | Recruited | Not recruited |