A 3DMD Bioinformatics Activity

Map of the Human ß-Globin Gene© Gene Map Summary

The β-globin gene consists of:

  • A 5’ promoter region.
  • 3 exons interrupted by 2 introns.
  • The 3 exons contain 148 codons, but since the last codon is the UAA STOP codon and since the N-terminal Met amino acid is removed from the protein following its synthesis, the final β-globin protein consists of 146 amino acids. Note that the red numbers on the map above indicate the starting and ending nucleotides (inclusive) of the exons as well as the entire sequence.
  • A 3’ regulatory region involved in cleavage and polyadenylation.
  • Landmark amino acids include:
    • Glu6 — site of sickle cell mutation
    • His63 — the distal histidine
    • His92 — the proximal histidine that binds the heme group.

More information about the β-globin gene can be found at the web address included in your product shipment. CONTACT US if you need that web address emailed to you. (We only share these resources with teachers who purchase the Map of the Human β-Globin Gene©.)