Chromosome 20 (human)

Chromosome 20 is one of 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans. A normal person has two nearly identical copies of this chromosome in most of its cells.

Decryption of chromosome 20

The chromosome 20 consists of 62.4 million base pairs. A base pair is the smallest information unit of DNA. Chromosome 20 contains about 2 % of the total DNA of a human cell. The identification of the genes on this chromosome is the part of the ongoing process of the human genome. On chromosome 20 are located between 600 and 800 genes. So far, 603 of them are known.

Known genes on chromosome 20

The chromosome 20 contains the following genes:

  • CST3: Cystatin C
  • GHRH: Somatoliberin
  • PTPN1: Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (N1 )

Medical importance

With the genes located on chromosome 20, the following genetic diseases or symptoms are associated. These include:

  • Alagille syndrome
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Atopic Eczema
  • Benign familial epilepsy
  • Brachydactyly type C.
  • Creutzfeldt -Jakob disease
  • Gerstmann - Sträussler - Scheinker syndrome
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • HARP syndrome ( Hypoprebetalipoproteinämie, Acanthozytose, retinitis pigmentosa )
  • Laurence -Moon -Biedl - Bardet Syndrome 6
  • Hirschsprung's disease
  • Kallmann syndrome, type 3
  • Kindler syndrome
  • MODY type 1
  • Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation
  • Okihiro syndrome
  • Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
  • Waardenburg syndrome type IV
  • Celiac Disease
Maturity onset diabetes of the young
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