HIC gene, a candidate suppressor gene within a minimal region of loss at 7q31.1 in myeloid neoplasms

We studied monosomy and deletions of chromosome 7 in 170 patients with myeloid disorders and we identified a minimal region of loss in 7q31.1 spanning between the D7S2554 and D7S2460 markers. The closest gene to our most deleted microsatellite, D7S2554, is the human I-mfa domain containing (HIC) gene, alias MyoD family inhibitor domain containing (MDFIC). We investigated the involvement of HIC in myeloid neoplasms by screening for mutations the coding regions and the intron–exon boundaries of this gene in 15 patients who presented chromosome 7 deletions in the region of HIC. No mutations were found in the coding region of this gene.