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Biomedical subjects

L Pascoe

Publications and source records attributed to L Pascoe.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism and adrenal tumors occurring in a single French pedigree.

Glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism is a dominantly inherited form of hypertension believed to be caused by the presence of a hybrid CYP11B1/CYP11B2 gene which has arisen from an unequal crossing over between the two CYP11B genes in a previous meiosis. We have studied a French pedigree with seven affected individuals in which two affected individuals also have adrenal tumors and two others have micronodular adrenal hyperplasia. One of the adrenal tumors and the surrounding adrenal tissue has been removed, giving a rare opportunity to study the regulation and action of the hybrid gene causing the disease. The hybrid CYP11B gene was demonstrated to be expressed at higher levels than either CYP11B1 or CYP11B2 in the cortex of the adrenal by RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis. In situ hybridization showed that both CYP11B1 and the hybrid gene were expressed in all three zones of the cortex. In cell culture experiments hybrid gene expression was stimulated by ACTH leading to increased production of aldosterone and the hybrid steroids characteristic of glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism. The genetic basis of the adrenal pathologies in this family is not known but may be related to the duplication causing the hyperaldosteronism.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Alternatively spliced human type 1 angiotensin II receptor mRNAs are translated at different efficiencies and encode two receptor isoforms.

The peptide hormone angiotensin II (AngII) plays a principal role in regulating blood pressure and fluid homeostasis. Most of its known effects are mediated by a guanine nucleotide-regulatory protein (G protein)-coupled receptor pharmacologically defined as the type-1 AngII receptor or AT1. Characterization of cDNA and genomic clones shows that the human AT1 gene contains five exons and encodes two receptor isoforms as a result of alternative splicing. Exon 5 contains the previously characterized open reading frame for AT1, and exons 1 to 3 are alternatively spliced upstream of it to generate several mRNA species, while transcripts containing exon 4 are of minor abundance. In an in vitro translation system, the presence of exon 1 was found to be extremely inhibitory to translation, probably because it can form a stable secondary structure at the RNA level. The alternatively spliced second exon also had a strong inhibitory effect on translation, presumably because it contains a minicistron commencing with an ATG in an optimal context for translation initiation. Exon 2 was similarly inhibitory to protein production in transfected cells, but exon 1 was found to enhance protein synthesis in this system. Transcripts containing exon 3 and 5, which comprise up to one-third of AT1 mRNAs in all tissues examined, encode a receptor with an amino-terminal extension of 32-35 amino acids. These transcripts were translated into a larger receptor isoform in vitro and produced a functional receptor with normal ligand binding and signaling properties in transfected cells.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1994

Disorders of steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase isozymes.

The most active corticosteroids are 11 beta-hydroxylated. Humans have two isozymes with 11 beta-hydroxylase activity that are respectively required for cortisol and aldosterone synthesis. CYP11B1 (11 beta-hydroxylase) is expressed at high levels and is regulated by ACTH, whereas CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) is normally expressed at low levels and is regulated by angiotensin II. In addition to 11 beta-hydroxylase activity, the latter enzyme has 18-hydroxylase and 18-oxidase activities and thus can synthesize aldosterone from deoxycorticosterone. Insights into the normal functioning of these enzymes are gained from studies of disorders involving them. Mutations in the CYP11B1 gene cause steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency, a form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia characterized by signs of androgen excess and by hypertension. Mutations in CYP11B2 result in aldosterone synthase (corticosterone methyloxidase) deficiency, an isolated defect in aldosterone biosynthesis that can cause hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and hypovolemic shock in infancy and failure to thrive in childhood. These are both recessive disorders. Unequal crossing over between the CYP11B genes can generate a duplicated chimeric gene with the transcriptional regulatory region of CYP11B1 but sufficient coding sequences from CYP11B2 so that the encoded enzyme has aldosterone synthase (i.e. 18-oxidase) activity. This results in aldosterone biosynthesis being regulated by ACTH, a condition termed glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism. This form of genetic hypertension is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1993

Mutations in the CYP11B1 gene causing congenital adrenal hyperplasia and hypertension cluster in exons 6, 7, and 8.

Steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency (failure to convert 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol) is the second most common cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia and results in a hypertensive form of the disease. The 11 beta-hydroxylase enzyme is encoded by the CYP11B1 gene on chromosome 8q22. Two mutations in CYP11B1 have previously been reported in patients with 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency--Arg-448-->His and a 2-bp insertion in codon 394. We now report eight previously uncharacterized mutations causing this disorder. Seven are point mutations (three nonsense and four missense) and one is a single base pair deletion causing a frameshift. We have used an in vitro transfection assay to show that all five known missense mutations causing 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency abolish enzymatic activity. In principle, deletions of CYP11B1 could be generated by unequal crossing-over between CYP11B1 and the adjacent CYP11B2 gene, but no such deletions were found among the deficiency alleles in this study. Seven of the 10 known mutations are clustered in exons 6-8, a nonrandom distribution within the gene. This may reflect the location of functionally important amino acid residues within the enzyme or an increased tendency to develop mutations within this region of the gene.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗
PubMed1992

Glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism results from hybrid genes created by unequal crossovers between CYP11B1 and CYP11B2.

Glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism (GSH) is an autosomal dominant form of familial hypertension. The biochemical abnormalities seen in this disorder may be remedied by administration of dexamethasone, implying that aldosterone synthesis is being abnormally regulated by corticotropin. The final three steps of aldosterone synthesis, 11 beta- and 18-hydroxylation and 18-oxidation, are mediated by a cytochrome P450 in the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex termed CYP11B2. A related isozyme in the zona fasciculata, CYP11B1, is required for cortisol synthesis; this isozyme, which is normally expressed at much higher levels than CYP11B2, only has 11 beta-hydroxylase activity. These isozymes are encoded by genes on human chromosome 8q22. We have now studied four unrelated patients with GSH. We found that each patient has one chromosome that carries three CYP11B genes instead of two. This has presumably been generated by unequal meiotic crossing-over. The extra gene is a hybrid with 5' regulatory and coding regions corresponding to CYP11B1 and 3' coding regions from CYP11B2. The breakpoint is in intron 2 in two cases, intron 3 in one, and exon 4 in one. Cells transfected with hybrid cDNAs containing up to the first three exons of CYP11B1 synthesized aldosterone at levels near that of cells carrying normal CYP11B2, but cells transfected with hybrids containing the first five or more exons of CYP11B1 could not synthesize detectable amounts of aldosterone. These data demonstrate that GSH is caused by expression of a gene that is regulated like CYP11B1 but that encodes a protein able to synthesize aldosterone.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1992

Mutations in the human CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) gene causing corticosterone methyloxidase II deficiency.

Corticosterone methyloxidase II (CMO-II) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder of aldosterone biosynthesis, characterized by an elevated ratio of 18-hydroxycorticosterone to aldosterone in serum. It is genetically linked to the CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 genes that, respectively, encode two cytochrome P450 isozymes, P450XIB1 and P450XIB2. Whereas P450XIB1 only catalyzes hydroxylation at position 11 beta of 11-deoxycorticosterone and 11-deoxycortisol, P450XIB2 catalyzes the synthesis of aldosterone from deoxycorticosterone, a process that successively requires hydroxylation at positions 11 beta and 18 and oxidation at position 18. To determine the molecular genetic basis of CMO-II deficiency, seven kindreds of Iranian-Jewish origin were studied in which members suffered from CMO-II deficiency. No mutations were found in the CYP11B1 genes, but two candidate mutations, R181W and V386A, were found in the CYP11B2 genes. When these mutations were individually introduced into CYP11B2 cDNA and expressed in cultured cells, R181W reduced 18-hydroxylase and abolished 18-oxidase activities but left 11 beta-hydroxylase activity intact, whereas V386A caused a small but consistent reduction in the production of 18-hydroxycorticosterone. All individuals affected with CMO-II deficiency were homozygous for both mutations, whereas eight asymptomatic subjects were homozygous for R181W alone and three were homozygous for V386A alone. These findings confirm that P450XIB2 is the major enzyme mediating oxidation at position 18 in the adrenal and suggest that a small amount of residual activity undetectable in in vitro assays is sufficient to synthesize normal amounts of aldosterone.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Genetic analysis of the human type-1 angiotensin II receptor.

Angiotensin II is a potent pressor hormone and a primary regulator of aldosterone secretion. It acts through at least two types of receptors termed AT1 and AT2. We analyzed cDNA and genomic clones encoding the human angiotensin II type-1 receptor, AT1. The human AT1 gene was mapped to chromosome 3q by polymerase chain reaction analysis of DNA from a panel of human-hamster somatic cell hybrids. The predicted amino acid sequence is 95% identical to the corresponding rat and bovine receptors and 25% and 22% identical, respectively, to the receptors encoded by the RTA and MAS genes. Characterization of several human cDNA clones demonstrated the existence of two alternate 5'-untranslated regions (UTRs) that contain a common initial sequence but differ by the presence or absence of an insertion of 84 base pairs. In the genomic sequence, the coding sequences are contained in a single exon, with an intron occurring in the 5'-UTR at the position of insertion of the 84-base pair sequence. The exons encoding the alternate 5'-UTRs are located at least 3.8 kilobases away from the exon encoding the protein. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that both forms of 5'-UTR are present in approximately equal abundance in a range of tissues expressing AT1. The reagents developed in this work may be useful in testing the hypothesis that genetic variations in angiotensin II receptor function are associated with a tendency to develop hypertension.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

The product of the CYP11B2 gene is required for aldosterone biosynthesis in the human adrenal cortex.

The steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase (P450c11) enzyme is responsible for the conversion of 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex. Animal studies have suggested that this enzyme or a closely related isozyme is also responsible for the successive 11 beta- and 18-hydroxylation and 18-oxidation of deoxycorticosterone required for aldosterone synthesis in the zona glomerulosa. There are two distinct 11 beta-hydroxylase genes in man, CYP11B1 and CYP11B2, which are predicted to encode proteins with 93% amino acid identity. We used a sensitive assay based on the polymerase chain reaction to analyze the expression of the CYP11B1 and B2 genes. Transcripts of CYP11B1 were detected at high levels in surgical specimens of normal adrenals and also in an aldosterone-secreting adrenal tumor. Transcripts of CYP11B2 were found at low levels in normal adrenals, but at a much higher level in the aldosterone-secreting tumor. CYP11B2 mRNA levels were increased in cultured zona glomerulosa cells by physiological levels of angiotensin-II. The entire coding regions of both CYP11B1 and B2 cDNAs were cloned from the tumor mRNA. Expression of these cDNAs in cultured COS-1 cells demonstrated that the CYP11B1 product could only 11 beta-hydroxylate 11-deoxycortisol or deoxycorticosterone, whereas the CYP11B2 product could also 18-hydroxylate cortisol or corticosterone. A small amount of aldosterone was synthesized from deoxycorticosterone only in cells expressing CYP11B2 cDNA. These data demonstrate that the product of CYP11B2 is required for the final steps in the synthesis of aldosterone.

11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1989

The genetics of Crohn disease: complex segregation analysis of a family study with 265 patients with Crohn disease and 5,387 relatives.

We have analysed the pedigrees of 265 probands with Crohn disease, collected from a specialty clinic at the University of Düsseldorf. Complex segregation analysis suggests the presence of a recessive gene with incomplete penetrance for susceptibility to the disease with no residual causes of family resemblance. However, a proportion of the isolated cases are probably due to phenocopies, this proportion being greatest among cases with an advanced age of onset.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1989

Combined segregation and linkage analysis for IDDM and HLA-DR under several ascertainment assumptions.

Combined segregation and linkage analysis of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 5 (GAW5) data suggests a complex basis for susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). One susceptibility gene, linked to the HLA-DR region, is additive on the liability scale (d = .49 +/- .15, t = 2.9 +/- .6) with a gene frequency q = .30 +/- .03. A second locus, with a gene frequency of q = .07 +/- .02, which is recessive and unlinked to HLA, is also suggested by the analysis. The ascertainment correction used has little effect on the results, presumably because most of the information comes from the cosegregation of HLA alleles and disease status. The results are consistent with a direct involvement of the HLA-DR region in susceptibility, but are not a proof of it.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1987

Occurrence of desmoids in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis of the colon.

Desmoid tumors occur at a much higher frequency in association with familial adenomatous polyposis than with any other disease. However, published estimates of risk have varied widely. In this study we have examined the occurrence of desmoids in a population of polyposis patients in order to determine an accurate estimate of the risk of desmoid disease. The crude frequency of desmoids in our population was about 6%, but the risk was dependent on the age and sex of the individuals at risk. The lifetime risk of incurring a desmoid was 8% for males and 13% for females. The distribution of occurrence of desmoid disease with regard to age was unimodal in each sex in contrast to the multimodal distribution observed for desmoids in nonpolyposis patients. Females were more likely to be affected than males and at an earlier age. We also detected heterogeneity of risk between families segregating for the polyposis gene, with the desmoid disease tending to cluster in some of those families. Consequently crude estimates of risk should be used with caution.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed1987

The use of map functions in multipoint mapping.

The analysis of multipoint data in humans involves detection of linkage, inferences about order, and estimation of map lengths. In order to calculate likelihoods, it is necessary to have predictive formulas for multiple recombination frequencies. In the present study the Markovian assumption of Morton and MacLean is generalized to give predictive formulas for multiple-region recombination using realistic map functions. The best-fitting map functions have been determined by fitting the nine-locus data of Morgan et al. and the seven-locus data of Weinstein on the Drosophila X chromosome. Two map functions fit the data better than other published functions: that of Rao et al. with a map parameter of P = .33 and a new function suggested in the present paper. The close agreement of the estimate of the mapping parameter with a previous estimate inferred from human male meiosis suggests that the map function is robust. A further improvement in the fit to the data can be obtained by the addition of a second parameter to reduce the expected number of multiple recombinants. By comparison with the map functions recommended in the present paper, the assumption of no interference gives a poor fit to the data.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Enamel hypoplasia and dental caries in Australian aboriginal children: prevalence and correlation between the two diseases.

This study investigated the prevalence of enamel hypoplasia and dental caries and the relationship between the two diseases in all 4- to 6-year-old Australian Aboriginal children of the Tiwi tribe on Bathurst Island. Seventy-nine of 80 children (99%) had enamel hypoplasia, with a mean of 12.0 +/- 4.1 hypoplastic teeth per child. Dental caries was noted in 66 (83%) of children and the mean number of decayed teeth per child was 3.9 +/- 3.3. A strong association between enamel hypoplasia and dental caries (P < 0.01) suggests that enamel hypoplasia may be a significant caries risk factor in this group. Furthermore, while high levels of medical morbidity were found, the relative importance of each medical condition in the pathogenesis of enamel hypoplasia could not be determined because nearly all patients with enamel hypoplasia had the full range of medical problems. It is likely that all the medical conditions commonly encountered contribute to enamel hypoplasia and may act synergistically.

Australia↗