PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

P R Fain

Publications and source records attributed to P R Fain.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Refined genetic mapping and proteolipid protein mutation analysis in X-linked pure hereditary spastic paraplegia.

X-linked hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) present with two distinct phenotypes, pure and complicated. The pure form is characterized by spasticity and gait difficulties but lacks the additional features (nystagmus, dysarthria, mental retardation) present in the complicated form. The complicated form is heterogeneous, caused by mutations of the L1CAM gene at Xq28 (SPG1) or the PLP gene at Xq22 (SPG2) that is allelic to Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD). Since in one kindred (K313) the pure form of HSP was also mapped to Xq22, this raises the issue as to whether a pure form of HSP exists that is allelic to X-linked complicated HSP (SPG2) and PMD. To answer this question, we carried out linkage analysis in a new pedigree with pure HSP (K101) and refined linkage in pedigree K313. The PLP gene was also screened for mutation by direct sequencing and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In both families, the disease locus mapped to Xq22 with Lod scores at zero recombination of 5.3 for COL4A5 2B6 in K313 and 2.4 for DXS101 in K101. A T to C transition in exon 5 of the PLP gene was identified from affected individuals of K313. This transition causes a Ser to Pro mutation in the major extracellular loop of PLP/DM20. This finding demonstrates that a form of X-linked pure spastic paraplegia, X-linked complicated HSP (SPG2) and PMD are allelic disorders. There was no evidence of mutations in either coding sequences or the intron/exon junctions of PLP in pedigree K101, suggesting that the disease-producing mutation may be in the noncoding portions of PLP or in a nearby gene.

Adult

A mutation causing Alport syndrome with tardive hearing loss is common in the western United States.

Mutations in the COL4A5 gene, located at Xq22, cause Alport syndrome (AS), a nephritis characterized by progressive deterioration of the glomerular basement membrane and usually associated with progressive hearing loss. We have identified a novel mutation, L1649R, present in 9 of 121 independently ascertained families. Affected males shared the same haplotype of eight polymorphic markers tightly linked to COL4A5, indicating common ancestry. Genealogical studies place the birth of this ancestor >200 years ago. The L1649R mutation is a relatively common cause of Alport syndrome in the western United States, in part because of the rapid growth and migratory expansion of mid-nineteenth-century pioneer populations carrying the gene. L1649R affects a highly conserved residue in the NC1 domain, which is involved in key inter- and intramolecular interactions, but results in a relatively mild disease phenotype. Renal failure in an L1649R male typically occurs in the 4th or 5th decade and precedes the onset of significant hearing loss by approximately 10 years.

Adolescent

A 2D crossover-based map of the human X chromosome as a model for map integration.

We have constructed a two-dimensional map of 243 markers on the X chromosome. The average distance between markers ordered by two recombinants is 5.4 centiMorgans (cM), which is reduced to 3.2 cM using a less stringent criterion of one recombinant. Map resolution is enhanced by replacing the usual reference marker format with a 2D format, and the two-recombinant rule is more conservative than the lod 3.0 criterion for order. Taken together, crossover mapping and the 2D format produces maps with greater reliability and higher resolution than maps constructed using currently accepted standards. This first high-density crossover-based map of an entire human chromosome provides a model for integrating physical and genetic maps.

Chromosome Mapping

Fine structure mapping of the human X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets gene locus.

X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (HYP) is an X-linked dominant disorder characterized by decreased renal tubular phosphate reabsorption and consequent hypophosphatemia. Renal cross-transplantation studies in Hyp mice indicate that the disorder is secondary to the elaboration of an as yet unidentified humoral factor. A full understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and the nature of this factor will be facilitated by identification of the HYP gene. Efforts to isolate the HYP gene have been deterred by limited precision in the map of the Xp22.1 region and the consequent distance between DXS365 and DXS274, the previously discovered flanking markers for the HYP gene. To map the HYP region precisely, HYP family resources from two groups of investigators were combined, and several newly available microsatellite repeat probes were tested for linkage to HYP. Our data indicate that DXS365, DXS3424, DXS443, DXS1052, DXS274, and DXS1683 are tightly linked to the HYP gene and suggest a locus order of: Xtel-DXS315-(GLR/DXS43)-DXS257-(DXS443+ ++-DXS3424)-DXS365-HYP-DXS1683-DXS1052-DXS 274-(DXS41/DXS92)-DXS451-Xcen. The HYP gene is located in the 350- to 650-kilobase region between DXS365 and DXS1683. These results will provide a basis for the isolation of candidate genes from the region.

Base Sequence

A germline 2.35 kb deletion of p53 genomic DNA creating a specific loss of the oligomerization domain inherited in a Li-Fraumeni syndrome family.

The primary genetic cancer predisposing event in many Li-Fraumeni syndrome families is a germline mutation in the p53 gene. We describe an extended Li-Fraumeni family with a germline mutation in the p53 gene involving a deletion of exon 10. The mutation is a 2.35 kilobase intragenic deletion encompassing exon 10, which results in the specific loss of the entire p53 oligomerization domain. This mutation segregates with the cancer phenotype. A lymphoblastoid cell line developed from a mutation carrier shows accumulation of mutant p53 protein by immunoblotting. However, tumor tissues from two affected carriers are negative by immunohistochemical staining. A major structural alteration specifically involving the oligomerization domain of a germline p53 gene has not been previously described and occurs in a region rarely mutated in sporadic tumors. The oligomerization domain is dispensable for many wild-type p53 functions, including transactivation, sequence-specific DNA binding, and suppression of oncogenic transformation. However, the domain appears to be required for transcriptional repression, and DNA strand reassociation. The identification of this mutation in an LFS family may yield insights into the importance of the oligomerization domain for suppressor function of the p53 tumor suppressor gene.

Base Sequence

Refined genetic mapping of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy.

Genetic linkage studies were conducted in four multigenerational families with X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX), using 12 highly polymorphic short-tandem-repeat markers for the pericentromeric region of the X chromosome. Pairwise linkage analysis with individual markers confirmed tight linkage of CMTX to the pericentromeric region in each family. Multipoint analyses strongly support the order DXS337-CMTX-DXS441-(DXS56,PGK1).

Adult

Flanking markers define the X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets gene locus.

X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (HYP) is an X-linked dominant disorder characterized by decreased renal tubular phosphate reabsorption and consequent hypophosphatemia. The defect in tubular phosphate reabsorption is probably secondary to an unidentified humoral factor. Identification of the humoral factor and a full understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease await the identification of the HYP gene. Previously we demonstrated that DXS257 and DXS41 are flanking markers for the HYP gene. Two markers, DXS365 and DXS274, are tightly linked to the HYP gene, but investigators have been unable to determine whether they are centromeric or telomeric to the disease gene. Since tightly linked flanking markers are necessary prerequisites to obtain the gene by positional cloning techniques, we sought to determine the relative positions of these markers to the HYP gene by expanding our data base for linkage studies. We also investigated a new polymorphic probe for linkage to HYP to construct a more detailed genetic map around the HYP locus. Our data indicate that the markers DXS365, DXS274, and DXS92 are tightly linked to the HYP locus and suggest a locus order of Xtel-(DXS444/DXS315)-DXS43-(DXS257/DXS3 65)-HYP-(DXS274/DXS41/DXS92)-DXS-451- DXS319-Xeen. These results will facilitate attempts further to localize and clone the HYP gene.

Chromosome Mapping

Definition and mapping of STSs at STR and RFLP loci in Xp11-Xq22.

New primer pair sequences specific for 25 loci in the Xp11-q22.1 region are described. Eighteen of the pairs span segments containing significant CA dinucleotide repeats, with 9 of these revealing polymorphisms of greater than 50% heterozygosity. Four of the CA-containing segments occur in probes previously reported to detect RFLPs, while the remaining 14 are from newly isolated clones. STSs were also developed for 7 other RFLP-only loci. All of these 25 STSs plus 11 other published STR markers have been fine-mapped with respect to chromosomal breakpoints, defining 15 subintervals in Xp11-Xq22. This map of 36 STSs, nearly all of which are associated with markers that are genetically mapped and/or highly polymorphic, will significantly aid efforts to construct a complete physical map of this region and to correlate it with the high-density genetic map.

Base Sequence

Clinical variability of type 1 neurofibromatosis: is there a neurofibromatosis-Noonan syndrome?

Detailed clinical, ophthalmological, and molecular studies were performed on a multigeneration family in which there were many subjects with type 1 neurofibromatosis, a common autosomal dominant disorder. Affected family members displayed a wide range of clinical findings including, in two subjects, features seen in Noonan syndrome (triangular facies, downward slanting palpebral fissures, micrognathia, short stature, and learning disability). Subjects have been described previously whose features have overlapped with neurofibromatosis and Noonan syndrome, and it has been suggested that these persons might represent a separate condition. DNA haplotype analysis showed linkage of the neurofibromatosis phenotype seen in this family to the proximal long arm of chromosome 17 in the region where the type 1 neurofibromatosis gene has been mapped. These results imply that the Noonan phenotype seen in some patients with type 1 neurofibromatosis might be the result of variable or variant expression of the neurofibromatosis gene on chromosome 17. The possible role of non-specific factors, such as fetal hypotonia, in producing the neurofibromatosis-Noonan phenotype needs further investigation. The availability of closely linked and intragenic molecular markers for neurofibromatosis could potentially be useful in the diagnosis and characterisation of patients and families with atypical forms of neurofibromatosis.

Adult

Multilocus mapping of the X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets gene.

X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (HYP), the most common form of familial hypophosphatemic (vitamin D-resistant) rickets, is an X-linked dominant disorder characterized by decreased renal tubular phosphate reabsorption and consequent hypophosphatemia. Despite the application of a wide variety of biochemical and cell biology techniques, controversy exists regarding whether a primary renal abnormality underlies the abnormal phosphate transport or if this defect is secondary to the effects of a hormonal/metabolic factor. Thus localization of the HYP gene and its ultimate cloning may be necessary to elucidate the pathophysiology of the disorder. In order to map the human HYP gene we investigated several new polymorphic probes for linkage to HYP and constructed a map of markers around the gene. The database used to ascertain linkage and perform mapping included 5 large HYP kindreds, 40 Centre d'Etudie Polymorphisms Humain reference pedigrees, and 19 kindreds which had been obtained for other disease linkage studies. Two point LOD scores (odds of linkage, log10) indicate that the probes DXS365, DXS257, DXS451, and DXS41 are tightly linked to the HYP locus. Indeed, there were no cross-overs between DXS365 and HYP with a peak LOD score of 13.98 [recombination fraction (theta) = 0.00]. Moreover, multipoint analysis reveals a probable locus order of: Xtel-DXS315-DXS43-DXS257-HYP-DXS41-DXS4 51-Xcen. The likelihood of HYP occurring between DXS257 and DXS41 is 407:1 over the next most likely position. DXS365 is located between DXS41 and DXS43 but could not be located with respect to HYP and DXS257. Regardless, we have located the HYP gene between the flanking markers DXS257 (telomeric) and DXS41 (centromeric) which are 3.5 centiMorgans apart. Thus, the results of this study will facilitate attempts to further localize and eventually clone the gene.

Alleles

Third International Workshop on Human Chromosome 17 Mapping.

Highlights of the meeting this year include progress in merging two independently derived genetic maps, expansion of the composite hybrid breakpoint map, and enhancements in working group communications through the chromosome 17 file server at Baylor. Progress is also being made in developing STS primers for framework markers and reference markers. The task remains of fully reconciling the framework map and composite breakpoint map with the list of chromosome 17 reference markers (Solomon and Ledbetter, 1991). There remain several gaps in the overall map, particularly near the distal end of the long arm, where there has been limited activity.

Breast Neoplasms

High-density genetic and physical mapping of DNA markers near the X-linked Alport syndrome locus: definition and use of flanking polymorphic markers.

To refine the genetic and physical mapping of the locus for Alport syndrome (ATS), 22 X-chromosome restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers that fall between Xq21.3 and Xq25 were tested for genetic linkage with the disease and also mapped with respect to a series of physical breakpoints in this region. The location of the COL4A5 gene, which has recently been shown to be mutated in at least some families with Alport syndrome, was determined with respect to the same physical breakpoints. Two large Utah kindreds were included in the genetic studies, kindreds P and C, with 125 and 63 potentially informative meioses, respectively. Both kindreds have essentially identical nephritis; however, kindred P has sensorineural hearing loss associated with the nephritis, while kindred C does not. A mutation in COL4A5 has been demonstrated for kindred P, but no change in this gene has yet been detected for kindred C. Twelve informative probes did not recombine with the disease locus in either kindred (theta = 0.0, with combined lod scores for the two kindreds ranging from 7.7 to 30.0). The closest markers that could be demonstrated to flank the disease locus were the same for each kindred and thus the locations of the mutations causing the two disease phenotypes are not distinguishable at the current level of genetic resolution. The flanking markers are also useful for the resolution of questionable diagnoses and allow accurate estimates for these families of the rate of sporadic hematuria in noncarrier females (7%) and the penetrance of hematuria for carrier females (93%).

Blotting, Southern

Localization of the highly polymorphic microsatellite DXS456 on the genetic linkage map of the human X chromosome.

The CA repeat microsatellite DXS456, with a heterozygosity of 77%, has been localized by multipoint linkage analysis in relation to 20 other genetic markers. DXS456 mapped to a 4.2-cM interval defined by the flanking markers DXS178 and DXS287. The maximum likelihood order of markers, cen-(DXYS1X/DXYS13X/DXYS2X/DXYS12X)-DXS366 -DXS178-DXS456-DXS287-DXS358-DXS267- qter, is favored by odds greater than 1000:1 over the subset of most likely alternative orders. Linkage of DXS456 can be inferred for at least six disease genes that are known to be linked to markers in the region Xq21.31-Xq25 and the marker will serve as an important index point for orienting these and other disease and marker loci in the region.

Chromosome Mapping