The gamma-crystallins of the human eye lens are encoded by a multigene family of which at least six genes have recently been assigned to chromosome 2. We have now localized these genes to the distal region of the long arm of chromosome 2 (region q33-36, most probably q34-35) using somatic cell hybrids containing different parts of this chromosome and by in situ hybridization. The gamma-crystallin genes map to the same chromosomal region as IDH-1. Similar linkage exists between the loci Len-1 and Idh-1 on mouse chromosome 1.