Hemoglobin subunit theta-1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HBQ1gene.[5][6]
Theta-globin mRNA is found in human fetal erythroid tissue but not in adult erythroid or other nonerythroid tissue. The theta-1 gene may be expressed very early in embryonic life, perhaps sometime before 5 weeks. Theta-1 is a member of the human alpha-globin gene cluster that involves five functional genes and two pseudogenes. The order of genes is: 5' - zeta - pseudozeta - mu - pseudoalpha-1 - alpha-2 - alpha-1 - theta-1 - 3'. Research supports a transcriptionally active role for the gene and a functional role for the peptide in specific cells, possibly those of early erythroid tissue.[6]
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Hsu SL, Marks J, Shaw JP, et al. (1988). "Structure and expression of the human theta 1 globin gene". Nature. 331 (6151): 94–6. Bibcode:1988Natur.331...94H. doi:10.1038/331094a0. PMID3422341. S2CID4357357.
De Gobbi M, Viprakasit V, Hughes JR, et al. (2006). "A regulatory SNP causes a human genetic disease by creating a new transcriptional promoter". Science. 312 (5777): 1215–7. Bibcode:2006Sci...312.1215D. doi:10.1126/science.1126431. PMID16728641. S2CID16044469.