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D S Konecki

Publications and source records attributed to D S Konecki.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Alternative splicing in the fragile X gene FMR1.

The FMR1 gene, associated with fragile X syndrome, has recently been cloned and the sequence of partial cDNA clones is known. We have determined additional cDNA sequences both at the 5' and 3' end. We have characterized the expressed gene by means of RT-PCR in various tissues and have found that alternative splicing takes place in the FMR1 gene, which does not seem to be tissue specific. When the different alternative splicing events are combined, 12 distinct mRNA products could result from FMR1 expression in each tested tissue. In all these transcripts the open reading frame is maintained until the same stop codon. At the 3' end alternative use of polyadenylation signals is found. The alternative splicing allows functional diversity of the FMR-1 gene. Whether all the possible proteins will be synthesized and whether they will be functionally active has to be determined.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1992

Structural characterization of the 5' regions of the human phenylalanine hydroxylase gene.

Human phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) is expressed in a liver-specific manner and catalyzes the enzymatic conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine. Genetic deficiency of PAH results in the autosomal-recessive disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). Through the application of genomic and cDNA cloning, primer extension studies, SI mapping experiments, and PCR methodologies, the transcription initiation (CAP) site has been identified and the 5'-flanking region determined. The most upstream CAP site for the human hepatic PAH gene transcript is located 154 nucleotides upstream of the first translation codon. The genomic and cDNA sequences analyzed demonstrated that the previously reported cDNA sequence, phPAH247 [Kwok et al. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 556-561], contained a 164-nucleotide cloning artifact at its 5'-end. The 319 base pair region immediately upstream of the CAP site is characterized by the lack of a proximal TATA box and the presence of sequences similar to GC boxes, CACCC boxes, CCAAT boxes, activator protein 2 (Ap-2) sites, partial glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), and partial cyclic AMP response elements (CREs). This suggests that the human PAH gene has a TATA-less promoter regulated by multiple transcription factors.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Tissue- and development-specific expression of the human phenylalanine hydroxylase/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion gene in transgenic mice.

Human phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) catalyzes the conversion of L-phenylalanine to L-tyrosine. Deficiency of this enzyme results in phenylketonuria, a common genetic disorder of amino acid metabolism that causes severe mental retardation. In primates, PAH is expressed specifically in the liver, while in rodents PAH activity is also present in kidney, although at a much lower level. A 9-kilobase genomic DNA fragment at the 5' end of the hPAH gene (hPAH) was fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. The hPAH/CAT minigene was used to generate multiple transgenic mouse lines. In all expressing lines, CAT activity was detected predominantly in the liver and at much lower levels in the kidney. By immunohistochemical staining, CAT expression was localized to hepatocytes and renal epithelial cells, both of which also express the endogenous mouse PAH enzyme. Furthermore, both the transgene and the endogenous mouse PAH were activated at about the same stage of embryonic development in the mouse liver. These results suggest that the 9-kilobase DNA fragment flanking the 5' end of the human PAH gene contains all the necessary cis-acting elements to direct tissue- and developmental-specific expression in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Associations between mutations and a VNTR in the human phenylalanine hydroxylase gene.

The HindIII RFLP in the human phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene is caused by the presence of an AT-rich (70%) minisatellite region. This region contains various multiple of 30-bp tandem repeats and is located 3 kb downstream of the final exon of the gene. PCR-mediated amplification of this region from haplotyped PAH chromosomes indicates that the previously reported 4.0-kb HindIII allele contains three of these repeats, while the 4.4-kb HindIII allele contains 12 of these repeats. The 4.2-kb HindIII fragment can contain six, seven, eight, or nine copies of this repeat. These variations permit more detailed analysis of mutant haplotypes 1, 5, 6, and, possibly, others. Kindred analysis in phenylketonuria families demonstrates Mendelian segregation of these VNTR alleles, as well as associations between these alleles and certain PAH mutations. The R261Q mutation, associated with haplotype 1, is associated almost exclusively with an allele containing eight repeats; the R408W mutation, when occurring on a haplotype 1 background, may also be associated with the eight-repeat VNTR allele. Other PAH mutations associated with haplotype 1, R252W and P281L, do not appear to segregate with specific VNTR alleles. The IVS-10 mutation, when associated with haplotype 6, is associated exclusively with an allele containing seven repeats. The combined use of this VNTR system and the existing RFLP haplotype system will increase the performance of prenatal diagnostic tests based on haplotype analysis. In addition, this VNTR may prove useful in studies concerning the origins and distributions of PAH mutations in different human populations.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Multiple origins for phenylketonuria in Europe.

Phenylketonuria (PKU), a disorder of amino acid metabolism prevalent among Caucasians and other ethnic groups, is caused primarily by a deficiency of the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). PKU is a highly heterogeneous disorder, with more than 60 molecular lesions identified in the PAH gene. The haplotype associations, relative frequencies, and distributions of five prevalent PAH mutations (R158Q, R261Q, IVS10nt546, R408W, and IVS12n1) were established in a comprehensive European sample population and subsequently were examined to determine the potential roles of several genetic mechanisms in explaining the present distribution of the major PKU alleles. Each of these five mutations was strongly associated with only one of the more than 70 chromosomal haplotypes defined by eight RFLPs in or near the PAH gene. These findings suggest that each of these mutations arose through a single founding event that occurred within time periods ranging from several hundred to several thousand years ago. From the significant differences observed in the relative frequencies and distributions of these five alleles throughout Europe, four of these putative founding events could be localized to specific ethnic subgroups. Together, these data suggest that there were multiple, geographically and ethnically distinct origins for PKU within the European population.

Europe↗
PubMed1991

Molecular basis of phenotypic heterogeneity in phenylketonuria.

BACKGROUND: Phenylketonuria is a metabolic disorder that results from a deficiency of the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. Its clinical phenotype varies widely, and to date more than 10 mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene have been identified in persons with the disorder. We attempted to relate the clinical phenotype of patients to their genotype. METHODS: We studied 258 patients with phenylketonuria from Denmark and Germany for the presence of eight mutations previously found in patients from these countries. The in vitro activity of the enzymes associated with these mutations was determined by expression analysis in heterologous mammalian cells. The level of activity was then used to predict the in vivo level of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in patients with various combinations of mutant phenylalanine hydroxylase alleles. RESULTS: The eight mutations involved 64 percent of all mutant phenylalanine hydroxylase alleles in the patients. Expression analysis showed that these mutant enzymes produced from 0 to 50 percent of normal enzyme activity. The predicted level of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity correlated strongly with the pretreatment serum level of phenylalanine (r = 0.91, P less than 0.001 in the Danish patients and r = 0.74, P less than 0.001 in the German patients), phenylalanine tolerance in the Danish patients (r = 0.84, P less than 0.001), and the serum phenylalanine level measured after standardized oral protein loading in the German patients (r = 0.84, P less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly support the hypothesis that there is a molecular basis for phenotypic heterogeneity in phenylketonuria. The establishment of genotype will therefore aid in the prediction of biochemical and clinical phenotypes in patients with this disease.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

The phenylketonuria locus: current knowledge about alleles and mutations of the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene in various populations.

The hyperphenylalaninemic disorders of classic phenylketonuria (PKU), mild phenylketonuria, and hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA), result from a deficiency of the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) or its cofactor (tetrahydrobiopterin). Use of the complementary DNA of this enzyme has allowed the establishment of a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) haplotype-analysis system. This haplotype analysis system provides the means for determination of mutant PAH alleles in most affected families and is the basis for mutational analysis of the PKU locus. This review is focused on two major areas of current PKU research: (1) the use of DNA haplotype analysis in the study of the population genetics of PAH deficiency, and (2) the study of genotypes, and their various combinations, as a means of explaining and predicting the phenotypic variability observed for the disorders of PAH deficiency.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

The identification of two mis-sense mutations at the PAH gene locus in a Turkish patient with phenylketonuria.

DNA sequence analysis of the 13 exons and intron/exon boundaries of the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene has detected two base transitions, resulting in mis-sense mutations, in the genomic DNA of a Turkish patient (E1) with phenylketonuria (PKU). The Leu48----Ser amino acid substitution was associated with the mutant haplotype 3 allele and the Glu221----Gly amino acid substitution with the mutant haplotype 4 allele of this family. Allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) dot-blot analysis subsequently detected the Leu48----Ser mutation in the haplotype 4 PKU alleles of nine (18.8%) of the 48 unrelated Caucasian PKU families investigated. This mutation results in mild PKU in the homozygous state. The Glu221----Gly mutation has only been detected within patient E1 and his father.

Alleles↗
PubMed1989

Direct detection of a major mutation responsible for phenylketonuria in the population of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Forty-six individuals having phenylketonuria (PKU) alleles at the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus were tested for the haplotype 2 PKU mutation by allele-specific hybridization following in vitro DNA amplification. Patients and carriers previously shown to have a mutant haplotype 2 PAH allele demonstrated conservation of this mutation. In vitro DNA amplification greatly facilitated this analysis and provides the possibility of population screening for 37% of the mutant German PAH alleles.

Alleles↗
PubMed1989

[DNA diagnosis of monogene hereditary diseases exemplified by phenylketonuria and mucoviscidosis].

In 170 inherited diseases there exists the possibility for diagnosis at the DNA level. Using phenylketonuria (PKU) and cystic fibrosis (CF) as examples we demonstrate the capability of direct and indirect DNA-diagnosis through the use of DNA markers and allelespecific oligonucleotide hybridization respectively. In 88% of our PKU-patients and in 98% of the CF-patients DNA linkage analysis and therefore prenatal diagnosis on the DNA level can be carried out in affected families. The reliability of DNA-diagnosis is 99.0% for PKU and between 96.0-99.99% for CF depending on where the DNA-markers are localized. In contrast to CF, the PKU gene has been isolated and distinct mutations within the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene have been characterized. There is evidence for a correlation between genotype and clinical and biochemical phenotype. Also in CF it is indicated that certain DNA haplotypes correlate with the severity of the disease: less frequent haplotypes seem to be more often associated with a milder course than haplotype "B/B" which represents 85% of the CF chromosomes. Therefore DNA diagnostic methods not only make a major contribution to improved genetic counseling but also offer the possibility for a better future understanding of the heterogeneity of genetic diseases.

Cystic Fibrosis↗
PubMed1988

Phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency caused by a single base substitution in an exon of the human phenylalanine hydroxylase gene.

A novel restriction fragment length polymorphism in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus generated by the restriction endonuclease MspI was observed in a German phenylketonuria (PKU) patient. Molecular cloning and DNA sequence analyses revealed that the MspI polymorphism was created by a T to C transition in exon 9 of the human PAH gene, which also resulted in the conversion of a leucine codon to a proline codon. The effect of the amino acid substitution was investigated by creating a corresponding mutation in a full-length human PAH cDNA by site-directed mutagenesis followed by expression analysis in cultured mammalian cells. Results demonstrate that the mutation in the gene causes the synthesis of an unstable protein in the cell corresponding to a CRM- phenotype. Together with the other mutations recently reported in the PAH gene, the data support previous biochemical and clinical observations that PKU is a heterogeneous disorder at the gene level.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Linkage disequilibrium between mutation and RFLP haplotype at the phenylalanine hydroxylase locus in the German population.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) haplotypes at the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus have been determined in 60 German families with PAH deficiency. Similar to the Danish population, about 90% of the mutant alleles are confined to four distinct haplotypes. There are however, differences in the frequency distribution of these haplotypes among the mutant alleles between the two populations. Using an oligonucleotide probe for the splicing mutation associated with mutant haplotype 3 in the Danish population, a tight association between the mutation and the RFLP haplotype has also been observed in Germany. The results provide strong evidence that the splicing mutation occurred on a haplotype 3 chromosome and that the mutant allele has spread into different populations among Caucasians.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Spontaneous reversion of novel Lesch-Nyhan mutation by HPRT gene rearrangement.

Molecular analysis of an unusual patient with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome has suggested that the mutation is due to a partial HPRT gene duplication. We now report the cloning and sequencing of the mutant HPRT cDNA which shows the precise duplication of exons 2 and 3. This mutation is the result of an internal duplication of 16-20 kilobases of the gene. The structure of the mutant gene suggests that the duplication was not generated by a single unequal crossing-over event between two normal HPRT alleles. Growth of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblasts from this patient in selective medium has permitted isolation of spontaneous HPRT+ revertants of this mutation. The reversion event involves a second major HPRT gene rearrangement where most or all of the duplicated portion of the mutant gene is deleted. The original mutation therefore has the potential for spontaneous somatic reversion. This may explain the relatively mild symptoms of the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome exhibited by this patient.

Alleles↗
PubMed1987

The primary structure of human chromogranin A and pancreastatin.

A full-length clone encoding human chromogranin A has been isolated from a lambda gt10 cDNA library of a human pheochromocytoma. The nucleotide sequence reveals that human chromogranin A is a 439-residue protein preceded by an 18-residue signal peptide. Comparison of the protein sequence of human chromogranin A with that of bovine chromogranin A shows high conservation of the NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal domains as well as the potential dibasic cleavage sites, whereas the middle portion shows remarkable sequence variation (36%). This part of human chromogranin A contains a sequence homologous to porcine pancreastatin at residues 250-301. The sequence variation in this part of human chromogranin A compared to porcine pancreastatin is 32% and thus of the same magnitude as that between human and bovine chromogranin A. Therefore, the difference between porcine pancreastatin and the corresponding portions of bovine or human chromogranin A can be explained by species variation, suggesting that pancreastatin is derived from chromogranin A itself rather than a protein that is only similar to chromogranin A. Moreover, the pancreastatin sequence contained in human chromogranin A is flanked by sites for proteolytic processing. Together, these observations suggest that human chromogranin A may be the precursor for a human pancreastatin molecule and possibly for other, as yet unidentified, biologically active peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗