Functional defects of high-affinity glutamate transporters have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In small intestine and kidney, in which the high-affinity glutamate transporter mediates net absorption of glutamate and aspartate across epithelial cells, an inborn error of glutamate transport is thought to cause dicarboxylic aminoaciduria. This disorder is characterized by increased urinary excretion of glutamate and aspartate and is, in general, associated with neurologic and developmental abnormalities. Recently, the authors isolated a cDNA encoding a high-affinity glutamate transporter (EAAC1) that also transports aspartate but not other amino acids. EAAC1 is ubiquitously expressed throughout the body, particularly in brain (neurons), intestine, and kidney. Here, the authors present mapping of the chromosome location of EAAC1 using Southern analysis of a panel of human/rodent somatic cell hybrids and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Southern analysis of EcoRI-digested DNA gave bands at 6.5, 5.6, 5.1, and 1.2 kb for human genomic DNA; 7.5 kb for mouse genomic DNA; and 7.3, 3.2, and 1 kb for hamster genomic DNA. All four human EAAC1-specific bands were observed in the lane corresponding to the human/Chinese hamster hybrid containing chromosome 9 but not in lanes corresponding to any other hybrid. Because the human/Chinese hamster hybrid is the only one retaining chromosome 9, this result unambiguously assigns human EAAC1 to chromosome 9. For precise chromosome assignment of the human EAAC1 gene, they employed FISH. Map position of the EAAC1 probe was assigned by visual inspection of the fluorescent signal on the DAPI-stained metaphase chromosomes. The human EAAC1 gene was assigned to 9p24.