Electrophoretic characterization and genetics of human biliverdin reductase (BLVR; EC 1.3.1.24); assignment of BLVR to the p14 → cen region of human chromosome 7 in mouse-human somatic cell hybrids

A simple chromogenic staining procedure is described for the specific identification of biliverdin reductase (BLVR) after gel electrophoresis. Using this procedure a gene for BLVR was assigned to the p14→cen region of human chromosome 7 in human-mouse somatic cell hybrids. Incidentally, the study indicated that the NADH- as well as the NADPH-dependent BLVR activities are due to one and the same enzyme and that, most probably, only one gene in the human genome codes for BLVR and the BLVR is a monomer in its functional configuration.