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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Mitochondrial DNA somatic mutations (point mutations and large deletions) and mitochondrial DNA variants in human thyroid pathology: a study with emphasis on Hürthle cell tumors.

In an attempt to progress in the understanding of the relationship of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations and thyroid tumorigenesis, we studied the mtDNA in 79 benign and malignant tumors (43 Hürthle and 36 non-Hürthle cell neoplasms) and respective normal parenchyma. The mtDNA common deletion (CD) was evaluated by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction. Somatic point mutations and sequence variants of mtDNA were searched for in 66 tumors (59 patients) and adjacent parenchyma by direct sequencing of 70% of the mitochondrial genome (including all of the 13 OXPHOS system genes). We detected 57 somatic mutations, mostly transitions, in 34 tumors and 253 sequence variants in 59 patients. Follicular and papillary carcinomas carried a significantly higher prevalence of non-silent point mutations of complex I genes than adenomas. We also detected a significantly higher prevalence of complex I and complex IV sequence variants in the normal parenchyma adjacent to the malignant tumors. Every Hürthle cell tumor displayed a relatively high percentage (up to 16%) of mtDNA CD independently of the lesion's histotype. The percentage of deleted mtDNA molecules was significantly higher in tumors with D-loop mutations than in mtDNA stable tumors. Sequence variants of the ATPase 6 gene, one of the complex V genes thought to play a role in mtDNA maintenance and integrity in yeast, were significantly more prevalent in patients with Hürthle cell tumors than in patients with non-Hürthle cell neoplasms. We conclude that mtDNA variants and mtDNA somatic mutations of complex I and complex IV genes seem to be involved in thyroid tumorigenesis. Germline polymorphisms of the ATPase 6 gene are associated with the occurrence of mtDNA CD, the hallmark of Hürthle cell tumors.

Adenoma, Oxyphilic↗
PubMed1994

Predicting local structural changes that result from point mutations.

Point mutations are frequently used to explore the structure and/or function of proteins. The ability to predict the structural effects of point mutations would make the planning of such experiments more reliable. We have now derived a set of detailed predictive rules based on the comparison of crystal structures of point mutants and wild types in 83 cases. Despite the surprising simplicity of these rules, they describe well the conformational changes in 85% of all point mutant structures available at present.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Distinct disease mechanisms in peripheral neuropathies due to altered peripheral myelin protein 22 gene dosage or a Pmp22 point mutation.

Point mutations affecting PMP22 can cause hereditary demyelinating and dysmyelinating peripheral neuropathies. In addition, duplication and deletion of PMP22 are associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 1A (CMT1A) and Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsy (HNPP), respectively. This study was designed to elucidate disease processes caused by misexpression of Pmp22 and, at the same time, to gain further information on the controversial molecular function of PMP22. To this end, we took advantage of the unique resource of a set of various Pmp22 mutant mice to carry out comparative expression profiling of mutant and wild-type sciatic nerves. Tissues derived from Pmp22-/- ("knockout"), Pmp22tg (increased Pmp22 copy number), and Trembler (Tr; point mutation in Pmp22) mutant mice were analyzed at two developmental stages: (i) at postnatal day (P)4, when normal myelination has just started and primary causative defects of the mutations are expected to be apparent, and (ii) at P60, with the goal of obtaining information on secondary disease effects. Interestingly, the three Pmp22 mutants exhibited distinct profiles of gene expression, suggesting different disease mechanisms. Increased expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA replication is characteristic and specific for the early stage in Pmp22-/- mice, supporting a primary function of PMP22 in the regulation of Schwann cell proliferation. In the Tr mutant, a distinguishing feature is the high expression of stress response genes. Both Tr and Pmp22tg mice show strongly reduced expression of genes important for cholesterol synthesis at P4, a characteristic that is common to all three mutants at P60. Finally, we have identified a number of candidate genes that may play important roles in the disease process or in myelination per se.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Extrachromosomal mutator inducing point mutations and deletions in mitochondrial genome of fission yeast.

We report the isolation and characterization of a mutator mutant in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This mutator is of extrachromosomal, very likely mitochondrial, inheritance and acts exclusively on mitochondrial mtDNA. It greatly enhances the frequency of spontaneous mitochondrial drug-resistance mutants compared to the wild type, but it is not obligatory for their occurrence. In contrast, mitochondrial respiratory deficient mutants can only be isolated from mutator strains. It could be shown that this mutator induces point mutations as well as deletions in the mitochondrial genome which lead to respiratory deficiency. This mutator might prove to have a novel function encoded by the mtDNA.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1994

Radiation-induced point mutations, deletions and micronuclei in lacI transgenic mice.

Ionizing radiation induces gene mutations (point mutations, deletions and insertions) as well as chromosome damage in mammalian cells. Although these effects have been studied extensively in cells in culture, until recently it has not been possible to analyze the mutagenic potential of ionizing radiation in vivo, especially at the molecular level. The development of transgenic mutagenesis systems has now made it possible to study the effects of ionizing radiation at both the molecular and chromosomal levels in the same animal. In this report we present preliminary data on the response of Big Blue lacI transgenic mice to ionizing radiation as measured by lacI mutations and micronuclei. C57Bl/6 transgenic mice were irradiated with 137Cs gamma-rays at doses ranging from 0.1 to 14 Gy, and expression times ranging from 2 to 14 days. Dose-related increases in the mutant frequency were observed after irradiations with longer expression times. Mutant plaques were analyzed by restriction enzyme digestion to detect large structural changes in the target sequence. Of 34 gamma-ray-induced mutations analyzed, 4 were large-scale rearrangements. 3 of these rearrangements were deletions within the lacI gene characterized by the presence of short regions of homology at the breakpoint junctions. The fourth rearrangement was a deletion that extended from within the alpha lacZ gene into downstream sequences and that had 43 bp of homology at the junction. These data indicate that the Big Blue lacI transgenic mouse system in sensitive to the types of mutations induced by ionizing radiation. To determine whether the presence of the transgene affects micronucleus induction we compared the response of nontransgenic to hemizygous transgenic B6C3F1 mice and the response of nontransgenic to hemizygous and homozygous transgenic C57Bl/6 mice. The presence or absence of the lacI transgene had no effect on spontaneous micronucleus frequencies for either strain. However, radiation-induced micronucleus frequencies were significantly higher in hemizygous lacI B6C3F1 mice than in nontransgenic litter mates; the converse was true in C57Bl/6 mice. These data suggest that the lacI transgene does not cause chromosome instability as measured by spontaneous micronucleus levels. However, the response of these transgenic mice to a variety of clastogenic agents needs to be investigated before they are integrated into standard in vivo assays for chromosome damage.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Origins of human mitochondrial point mutations as DNA polymerase gamma-mediated errors.

Mitochondrial mutational spectra in human cells, tissues and derived tumors for bp 10,030-10,130 are essentially identical, suggesting a predominant mutagenic role for endogenous processes. We hypothesized that errors mediated by mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma were the primary sources of mutations. Point mutations created in this sequence by human DNA pol gamma in vitro were thus compared to the eighteen mutational hotspots, all single base substitutions, previously found in human tissues. The set of concordant hotspots accounted for 83% of these in vivo mutational events. About half of these mutations are insensitive to prolonged heating of DNA during PCR and half increase proportionally with heating time at 98 degrees C. Primary misincorporation errors and miscopying errors past thermal denaturing products such as deaminated cytosines (uracils) thus appear to be of approximately equal importance. For the sequence studied, these data support the conclusion that, endogenous error mediated by DNA pol gamma constitutes the primary source of mitochondrial point mutations in human tissues.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Novel point mutations in the dystrophin gene.

Duchenne (DMD) and Becker (BMD) type muscular dystrophies are allelic X-linked recessive disorders caused by mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin. About 65% of the cases are caused by deletions, while 5-10% are duplications. The remaining 30% of affected individuals may have smaller mutations (point mutations or small deletions/insertions) which cannot be identified by current diagnostic screening strategies. In order to look for pathogenic small mutations in the dystrophin gene, we have screened the 18 exons located in the hot spot region of this gene through two different single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) conditions. Five different pathogenic mutations were identified in 6 out of 192 DMD/BMD patients without detectable deletions: 2 nonsense, 1 bp insertion, 1 bp deletion and 1 intronic. Except for the intronic change, which alters a splice site, all the others cause a premature stop codon. In addition, 8 apparently neutral changes were identified. However, interestingly, one of them was not identified in 195 normal chromosomes, although it was previously described in a DMD patient from a different population. The possibility that this mutation may be pathogenic is discussed. Except for two neutral changes, all the others are apparently here described for the first time.

Dystrophin↗
PubMed2003

Pradimicin-resistance of yeast is caused by a point mutation of the histidine-containing phosphotransfer protein Ypd1.

Pradimicin is an antifungal antibiotic which induces apoptosis like cell death in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pradimicin-resistant mutants were isolated from the S. cerevisiae and the mutation points were analyzed. A point mutation of YPD1 that led to a substitution of the 74th glycine (Gly74) to cysteine (Cys) was identified in a mutant strain NH1. In S. cerevisiae, Ypd1 transfers a phosphoryl group from the sensor kinase Slnl to the response regulator Sskl which regulates a downstream MAP kinase in response to hyperosmotic stress. Gly74 is located in a three-residue reverse turn domain that connects two alpha-helices, one of which contains a histidine residue which is phosphorylated. In the reverse turn, glycine (relative position +10 to the active-site histidine) is highly conserved in Ypd1 and other histidine-containing phosphotransfer proteins. It was therefore suggested that the substitution of Gly74 to Cys altered the Ypd1 structure, which resulted in the resistance to pradimicin.

Anthracyclines↗
PubMed1994

On the origin of deletions and point mutations in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: most deletions arise in oogenesis and most point mutations result from events in spermatogenesis.

We present the results of a study of the rate and origin of mutations in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Depending on the type of mutation (deletion/duplication or point mutation) present in the patient, there are widely varying ratios of male to female mutation rates. In deletions, the male mutation rate is only 30% of the female one. In non-deletional/non-duplicational mutations (presumably containing a high proportion of point mutations) the male mutation rate is at least 2.2 as high as the female one and probably much higher. Allowing for the presence of autosomal recessive phenocopies we find that k in non-deletional/non-duplicational mutations is 40.3. These findings mean that the vast majority of deletions arise in oogenesis, while most point mutations stem from spermatogenesis. Previous investigations have shown that in other diseases and genes, most notably haemophilia B and A, but also the ZFY and ZFX genes, the male mutation rate for point mutations tends to be higher than the female one. Our results can be seen as a confirmation of this for the special case of DMD. The influence on risk figures is considerable. As an example, the risk of the mother of an isolated case of DMD without an apparent structural anomaly of the gene of being a carrier increases from 67% to at least 76%. Given the estimate of 40.3 for k, allowing for the presence of autosomal recessive phenocopies mentioned above, it increases even further to 98%. However, as confidence intervals are still large, more data are needed to improve the estimates. Germinal mosaicism in this context is discussed.

Fathers↗
PubMed2005

Familial cases of point mutations in the XIST promoter reveal a correlation between CTCF binding and pre-emptive choices of X chromosome inactivation.

The choice mechanisms that determine the future inactive X chromosome in somatic cells of female mammals involve the regulated expression of the XIST gene. A familial C(-43)G mutation in the XIST promoter results in skewing of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) towards the inactive X chromosome of heterozygous females, whereas a C(-43)A mutation found primarily in the active X chromosome results in the opposite skewing pattern. Both mutations point to the existence of a factor that might be responsible for the skewed patterns. Here we identify this factor as CTCF, a conserved protein with a 11 Zn-finger (ZF) domain that can mediate multiple sequence-specificity and interactions between DNA-bound CTCF molecules. We show that mouse and human Xist/XIST promoters contain one homologous CTCF-binding sequence with the matching dG-contacts, which in the human XIST include the -43 position within the DNase I footprint of CTCF. While the C(-43)A mutation abrogates CTCF binding, the C(-43)G mutation results in a dramatic increase in CTCF-binding efficiency by altering ZF-usage mode required for recognition of the altered dG-contacts of the mutant site. Thus, the skewing effect of the two -43C mutations correlates with their effects on CTCF binding. Finally, CTCF interacts with the XIST/Xist promoter only in female human and mouse cells. The interpretation that this reflected a preferential interaction with the promoter of the active Xist allele was confirmed in mouse fetal placenta. These observations are in keeping with the possibility that the choice of X chromosome inactivation reflects stabilization of a higher order chromatin conformation impinging on the CTCF-XIST promoter complex.

Alleles↗
PubMed1995

Detection of point mutations in chloroplast genes of Antirrhinum majus L. I. Identification of a point mutation in the psaB gene of a photosystem I plastome mutant.

A point mutation in the plastome-encoded psaB gene of the mutant en:alba-1 of Antirrhinum majus L. was identified by an analysis of chloroplast DNA with a modified PCR-SSCP technique. Application of this technique is indicated when a gene or a group of genes is known in which the point mutation is located. Analysis of primary photosynthetic reactions in the yellowish white plastome mutant indicated a dysfunction of photosystem (PS) I. The peak wavelength of PS I-dependent chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence emission at 77 K was shifted by 4 nm to 730 nm, as compared to fluorescence from wild-type. There were no redox transients of the reaction center Chl P700 upon illumination of leaves with continuous far-red light or with rate-saturating flashes of white light. The PS I reaction center proteins PsaA and PsaB are not detectable by SDS-PAGE in mutant plastids. Hence, plastome encoded PS I genes were regarded as putative sites of mutation. In order to identify plastome mutations we developed a modified SSCP (single-strand conformation polymorphism) procedure using a large PCR fragment which can be cleaved with various restriction enzymes. When DNA from wild-type and en:alba-1 was submitted to SSCP analysis, a single stranded HinfI fragment of a PCR product of the psaB gene showed differences in electrophoretic mobility. Sequence analysis revealed that the observed SSCP was caused by a single base substitution at codon 136 (TAT-->TAG) of the psaB gene. The point mutation produces a new stop codon that leads to a truncated PsaB protein. The results presented indicate that the mutation prevents the assembly of a functional PS I complex. The applicability to other plastome mutants of the new method for detection of point mutations is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Amplification of c-MYC oncogene and point mutation of N-RAS oncogene point mutation in acute myelocytic leukemias with double minute chromosomes.

Two patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) showing double minute (dmin) chromosomes were analysed to identify oncogene activation. Cytogenetic analysis showed 1-53 dmin chromosomes with the normal karyotype in the first patient and 1-84 dmin chromosomes with complex chromosome aberrations. Analysis of DNA from two patients revealed five- to tenfold amplification of c-MYC oncogene in the leukemic cells. The other sixteen oncogenes studied showed no increase in the gene content. Furthermore, a transforming gene, N-RAS was detected in the first patient by nude mouse tumorigenicity assay (in vivo selection assay). These results suggest that the amplification of c-MYC gene is common in dmin-positive AML patients and co-ordination of c-MYC and N-RAS oncogene might also play a significant role in the pathogenesis of some AML patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Genomic rearrangements in MSH2, MLH1 or MSH6 are rare in HNPCC patients carrying point mutations.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant disease with high penetrance, caused by germline mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2 and MLH3. Most reported pathogenic mutations are point mutations, comprising single base substitutions, small insertions and deletions. In addition, genomic rearrangements, such as large deletions and duplications not detectable by PCR and Sanger sequencing, have been identified in a significant proportion of HNPCC families, which do not carry a pathogenic MMR gene point mutation. To clarify whether genomic rearrangements in MLH1, MSH2 or MSH6 also occur in patients carrying a point mutation, we subjected normal tissue DNA of 137 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis. Patients fulfilled the following pre-requisites: all patients met at least one criterion of the Bethesda guidelines and their tumors exhibited high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and/or showed loss of expression of MLH1, MSH2 or MSH6 proteins. PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing of all exons of at least one MMR gene, whose protein expression had been lost in the tumor tissue, identified 52 index patients without a point mutation (Group 1), 71 index patients with a pathogenic point mutation in MLH1 (n=38) or MSH2 (n=22) or MSH6 (n=11) (Group 2) and 14 patients with an unclassified variant in MLH1 (n=9) or MSH2 (n=3) or MSH6 (n=2) (Group 3). In 13 of 52 patients of group 1 deletions of at least one exon were identified. In addition, in group 3 one EX1_15del in MLH1 was found. No genomic rearrangement was identified in group 2 patients. Genomic rearrangements represent a significant proportion of pathogenic mutations of MMR genes in HNPCC patients. However, genomic rearrangements are rare in patients carrying point mutations in MMR genes. These findings suggest the use of genomic rearrangement tests in addition to Sanger sequencing in HNPCC patients.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1995

DNA binding capacity of the WT1 protein is abolished by Denys-Drash syndrome WT1 point mutations.

Constitutional point mutations in the zinc finger (ZF) region of the Wilms' tumour suppressor gene 1 (WT1) lead to Denys-Drash syndrome (DDS). Patients with this syndrome display renal failure, Wilms' tumour (WT) and pseudohermaphroditism. DDS WT1 mutations fall into three major categories: (a) missense mutations altering amino acids which directly interact with the DNA target; (b) substitution of amino acids involved in zinc complexing; and (c) nonsense mutations leading to the removal of at least two zinc fingers. We have expressed the WT1 zinc fingers as glutathione-S-transferase fusion proteins, with the lysine-threonine-serine (KTS) alternate splice between ZF3 and ZF4 either present or absent. WT1 fusion constructs with all three classes of DDS mutation were also created. Wild-type and mutant fusion proteins were assayed for their DNA-binding affinity using four previously identified WT1 DNA targets: an EGR1 consensus site; murine insulin-like growth factor 2 promoter 2 (IGF2P2); a (TCC)n motif from the PDGFA-chain promoter; and +P5, a genomic fragment isolated by its affinity for WT1 + KTS. WT1-KTS bound all four targets, but WT1 + KTS only bound +P5. All three classes of DDS mutation investigated, with or without KTS, abolished binding to all four targets. This provides evidence that DDS mutations act either as dominant-negative antimorphs, or elicit their effect through disturbed isoform dosage balance.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1993

A point mutation found in the WT1 gene in a sporadic Wilms' tumor without genitourinary abnormalities is identical with the most frequent point mutation in Denys-Drash syndrome.

We have analyzed exon 9 of the WT1 gene of 18 non-familial/sporadic unilateral Wilms' tumors (WTs) from Japanese patients, by the polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method. After screening these WTs, a nucleotide alternation, which was present on both alleles, was found in only one case. Furthermore, PCR-SSCP analysis of the constitutional DNA revealed that this patient carried the mutation on only one allele in the germline. Sequence analysis showed that the tumor carried a point mutation (C-1180 to T-1180) in WT1 exon 9 of both alleles, resulting in an Arg-394 to Trp-394 amino acid substitution within the third zinc finger domain of the WT1 product. Interestingly, this mutation is identical with the most frequent point mutation associated with the Denys-Drash syndrome. However, the classical triad of Denys-Drash syndrome does not apply to this patient. This is in the first report of the point mutation in the zinc finger domain of both WT1 alleles in a sporadic unilateral WT without genitourinary abnormalities, and the mutation suggests that some sporadic WTs carry the Denys-Drash WT1 mutations.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2002

High aggregate burden of somatic mtDNA point mutations in aging and Alzheimer's disease brain.

The mitochondrial theory of aging proposes that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) accumulates mutations with age, and that these mutations contribute to physiological decline in aging and degenerative diseases. Although a great deal of indirect evidence supports this hypothesis, the aggregate burden of mtDNA mutations, particularly point mutations, has not been systematically quantified in aging or neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, we directly assessed the aggregate burden of brain mtDNA point mutations in 17 subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 10 elderly control subjects and 14 younger control subjects, using a PCR-cloning-sequencing strategy. We found that brain mtDNA from elderly subjects had a higher aggregate burden of mutations than brain mtDNA from younger subjects. The average aggregate mutational burden in elderly subjects was 2 x 10(-4) mutations/bp. The bulk of these mutations were individually rare point mutations, 60% of which changed an amino acid. Control experiments ensure that these results were not due to artifacts arising from PCR error, mistaken identification of nuclear pseudogenes or ex vivo oxidation. Cytochrome oxidase activity correlated negatively with increasing mutational burden. These findings significantly bolster the mitochondrial theory of aging.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Detection of K-ras point mutations at codon 12 in pancreatic juice for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer by hybridization protection assay: a simple method for the determination of the types of point mutation.

The present study was undertaken to detect K-ras oncogene point mutations at codon 12 in pure pancreatic juice (PPJ) by the hybridization protection assay (HPA) method for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC). This assay can be carried out within 30 min and can determine not only the presence of a mutation, but also the mutational type of K-ras at codon 12. The minimal ratio of mutant DNA detectable by the HPA was 5-10% of the total DNA. PPJ was collected through a cannula under duodenal fiberscope control from 20 patients with PC and 20 patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). Analysis of PPJ by the HPA revealed that the incidence of K-ras point mutations at codon 12 was 55% (11/20) in patients with PC and 0% (0/20) in those with CP. Mutational types of K-ras at codon 12 in PC were aspartic acid (Asp) in nine cases, both Asp and cysteine in one case, and arginine in one case. Analysis of K-ras point mutations at codon 12 in PPJ using the HPA method seems promising as a new genetic test for the diagnosis of PC, because the HPA method is simple, and can easily determine the mutational type.

Base Sequence↗