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Biomedical subjects

M Lagerström-Fermér

Publications and source records attributed to M Lagerström-Fermér.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Heteroplasmy of the human mtDNA control region remains constant during life.

In a longitudinal, retrospective study, we monitored the level of heteroplasmy at nucleotide position (nt) 309 and nt 16189 of the control region of human mtDNA. As a unique source of DNA, we analyzed multiple cervical-cell samples collected, during 1 or 2 decades, from four women with heteroplasmy at either nt 309 or nt 16189. According to accurate, quantitative analysis by solid-phase minisequencing, the level of heteroplasmy remained stable in the cervical-cell samples from all four women during the time studied. We also analyzed autopsy samples from several different tissues, all containing nt 309 in heteroplasmic form, of one of the women, who was deceased. On the basis of our results, heteroplasmy in the control region of mtDNA seems to be inherited and is not the result of somatic age-related accumulation.

Autopsy↗

The level of the mitochondrial mutation A3243G decreases upon ageing in epithelial cells from individuals with diabetes and deafness.

We have in a longitudinal study determined the proportion of the mitochondrial A3243G mutation in DNA obtained from cervical cell samples collected from three individuals affected with mitochondrial diabetes and hearing loss during a period of up to 18 years. Using the minisequencing method we were able to sensitively determine the proportion between mutant and normal mitochondrial DNA. Our results demonstrate a constant decrease in the levels of the pathogenic mutation in mitotic tissues of affected individuals with time.

Adult↗

Level of heteroplasmy for the mitochondrial mutation A3243G correlates with age at onset of diabetes and deafness.

The mitochondrial mutation A3243G has been shown to be associated with a syndrome of diabetes mellitus and sensorineural hearing loss. Using a solid-phase-based sequencing method we have investigated the relation between the proportion of mutant mitochondrial genomes and the time of disease onset among members of three families where the mutation segregates. A striking association was observed between the level of heteroplasmy and time of onset of disease, particularly hearing loss. Accordingly, this syndrome shares features of diseases caused by dynamic mutations in that variable transmission of the level of heteroplasmy between generations influences disease severity.

Adolescent↗

X-linked recessive panhypopituitarism associated with a regional duplication in Xq25-q26.

We present a linkage analysis and a clinical update on a previously reported family with X-linked recessive panhypopituitarism, now in its fourth generation. Affected members exhibit variable degrees of hypopituitarism and mental retardation. The markers DXS737 and DXS1187 in the q25-q26 region of the X chromosome showed evidence for linkage with a peak LOD score (Zmax) of 4.12 at zero recombination fraction (theta(max) = 0). An apparent extra copy of the marker DXS102, observed in the region of the disease gene in affected males and heterozygous carrier females, suggests that a segment including this marker is duplicated. The gene causing this disorder appears to code for a dosage-sensitive protein central to development of the pituitary.

Alleles↗

Isolation of nifH and part of nifD by modified capture polymerase chain reaction from a natural population of the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium sp.

A modified capture polymerase chain reaction (CPCR) technique was used to isolate the entire sequence of the nifH gene and its flanking regions from a natural population of Trichodesmium sp. A set of specific CPCR primers derived from a known 72-bp DNA segment of the nifH sequence permitted isolation of both the upstream and the downstream region of Trichodesmium sp. nifH. The 882-bp nifH gene presented here is the first full-length gene isolated from Trichodesmium sp. A sequence similar to a nif-like promoter was found in front of nifH. The nifH open reading frame of Trichodesmium sp. encoded 294 amino acids. Comparative analysis of the Trichodesmium sp. NifH sequence revealed strong similarity with 23 known NifH proteins. Amino acids postulated to be involved in binding of the 4Fe:4S cluster and those subjected to ADP-ribosylation were present. An open reading frame for the nifD gene was identified 189 bp downstream of nifH. A sequence similar to the consensus of the nif-like promoter was also found in front of nifD.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amelogenin signal peptide mutation: correlation between mutations in the amelogenin gene (AMGX) and manifestations of X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta.

Formation of tooth enamel is a poorly understood biological process. In this study we describe a 9-bp deletion in exon 2 of the amelogenin gene (AMGX) causing X-linked hypoplastic amelogenesis imperfecta, a disease characterized by defective enamel. The mutation results in the loss of 3 amino acids and exchange of 1 in the signal peptide of the amelogenin protein. This deletion in the signal peptide probably interferes with translocation of the amelogenin protein during synthesis, resulting in the thin enamel observed in affected members of the family. We compare this mutation to a previously reported mutation in the amelogenin gene that causes a different disease phenotype. The study illustrates that molecular analysis can help explain the various manifestations of a tooth disorder and thereby provide insights into the mechanisms of tooth enamel formation.

Amelogenesis Imperfecta↗

Manifold sequencing: efficient processing of large sets of sequencing reactions.

Automated instruments for DNA sequencing greatly simplify data collection in the Sanger sequencing procedure. By contrast, the so-called front-end problems of preparing sequencing templates, performing sequencing reactions, and loading these on the instruments remain major obstacles to extensive sequencing projects. We describe here the use of a manifold support to prepare and perform sequencing reactions on large sets of templates in parallel, as well as to load the reaction products on a sequencing instrument. In this manner, all reaction steps are performed without pipetting the samples. The strategy is applied to sequencing PCR-amplified clones of the human mitochondrial D-loop and for detection of heterozygous positions in the human major histocompatibility complex class II gene HLA-DQB, amplified from genomic DNA samples. This technique will promote sequencing in a clinical context and could form the basis of more efficient genomic sequencing strategies.

Base Sequence↗

Molecular basis and consequences of a deletion in the amelogenin gene, analyzed by capture PCR.

A mutation that disrupts the gene for one of the major proteins in tooth enamel has been investigated. The mutation is located in the amelogenin gene and causes X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta, characterized by defective mineralization of tooth enamel. We have isolated the breakpoints of a 5-kb deletion in the amelogenin gene on the basis of nucleotide sequence information located upstream of the lesion, using a technique termed capture PCR. The deletion removes five of the seven exons, spanning from the second intron to the last exon. Only the first two codons for the mature protein remain, consistent with the relatively severe phenotype of affected individuals in the present family. The mutation appears to have arisen as an illegitimate recombination event since of 11 nucleotide positions immediately surrounding the two breakpoints, 9 are identical.

Amelogenesis Imperfecta↗