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Garces F, Jiang K, Molday LL, Stöhr H, Weber BH, Lyons CJ, Maberley D, Molday RS. Correlating the Expression and Functional Activity of ABCA4 Disease Variants With the Phenotype of Patients With Stargardt Disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:2305-2315. [PMID: 29847635 PMCID: PMC5937799 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-23364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Stargardt disease (STGD1), the most common early-onset recessive macular degeneration, is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCA4. Although extensive genetic studies have identified more than 1000 mutations that cause STGD1 and related ABCA4-associated diseases, few studies have investigated the extent to which mutations affect the biochemical properties of ABCA4. The purpose of this study was to correlate the expression and functional activities of missense mutations in ABCA4 identified in a cohort of Canadian patients with their clinical phenotype. Methods Eleven patients from British Columbia were diagnosed with STGD1. The exons and exon-intron boundaries were sequenced to identify potential pathologic mutations in ABCA4. Missense mutations were expressed in HEK293T cells and their level of expression, retinoid substrate binding properties, and ATPase activities were measured and correlated with the phenotype of the STGD1 patients. Results Of the 11 STGD1 patients analyzed, 7 patients had two mutations in ABCA4, 3 patients had one detected mutation, and 1 patient had no mutations in the exons and flanking regions. Included in this cohort of patients was a severely affected 11-year-old child who was homozygous for the novel p.Ala1794Pro mutation. Expression and functional analysis of this variant and other disease-associated variants compared favorably with the phenotypes of this cohort of STGD1 patients. Conclusions Although many factors contribute to the phenotype of STGD1 patients, the expression and residual activity of ABCA4 mutants play a major role in determining the disease severity of STGD1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Garces
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kailun Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laurie L Molday
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Heidi Stöhr
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard H Weber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christopher J Lyons
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David Maberley
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert S Molday
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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2
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Bellingrath JS, Ochakovski GA, Seitz IP, Kohl S, Zrenner E, Hanig N, Prokisch H, Weber BH, Downes SM, Ramsden S, MacLaren RE, Fischer MD. High Symmetry of Visual Acuity and Visual Fields in RPGR-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 58:4457-4466. [PMID: 28863407 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-22077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Mutations in retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) cause 70% to 90% of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP3) cases, making this gene a high-yield target for gene therapy. This study analyzed the utility of relevant clinical biomarkers to assess symmetry and rate of progression in XLRP3. Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 50 XLRP3 patients extracted clinical data including visual acuity (VA), visual fields (I4e and III4e targets), foveal thickness, and ERG data points alongside molecular genetic data. Symmetry was assessed by using linear regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves (KMCs) and generalized linear mixed model calculations were used to describe disease progression. Results Ninety-six percent of patients exhibited a rod-cone phenotype, and 4% a cone-rod phenotype. Open reading frame 15 (ORF15) was confirmed as a mutational hotspot within RPGR harboring 73% of exonic mutations. Significant variability, but no clear genotype-phenotype relationship, could be shown between mutations located in exons 1-14 versus ORF15. All biomarkers suggested a high degree of symmetry between eyes but demonstrated different estimates of disease progression. VA and foveal thickness, followed by perimetry III4e, were the most useful endpoints to evaluate progression. KMC estimates predicted a loss of 6/6 vision at a mean of 34 years (±2.9; 95% confidence interval). Conclusions XLRP3 affects retinal structure and function symmetrically, supporting the use of the fellow eye as an internal control in interventional trials. VA and kinetic visual fields (III4e) seem promising functional outcome measures to assess disease progression. KMC analysis predicted the most severe decline in vision between the third and fourth decade of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia-Sophia Bellingrath
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - G Alex Ochakovski
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Immanuel P Seitz
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Kohl
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eberhart Zrenner
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nicola Hanig
- Centre for Genomics and Transcriptomics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Holger Prokisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernhard H Weber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Susan M Downes
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Ramsden
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Robert E MacLaren
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - M Dominik Fischer
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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3
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Rebbeck TR, Mitra N, Wan F, Sinilnikova OM, Healey S, McGuffog L, Mazoyer S, Chenevix-Trench G, Easton DF, Antoniou AC, Nathanson KL, Laitman Y, Kushnir A, Paluch-Shimon S, Berger R, Zidan J, Friedman E, Ehrencrona H, Stenmark-Askmalm M, Einbeigi Z, Loman N, Harbst K, Rantala J, Melin B, Huo D, Olopade OI, Seldon J, Ganz PA, Nussbaum RL, Chan SB, Odunsi K, Gayther SA, Domchek SM, Arun BK, Lu KH, Mitchell G, Karlan BY, Walsh C, Lester J, Godwin AK, Pathak H, Ross E, Daly MB, Whittemore AS, John EM, Miron A, Terry MB, Chung WK, Goldgar DE, Buys SS, Janavicius R, Tihomirova L, Tung N, Dorfling CM, van Rensburg EJ, Steele L, Neuhausen SL, Ding YC, Ejlertsen B, Gerdes AM, Hansen TVO, Ramón y Cajal T, Osorio A, Benitez J, Godino J, Tejada MI, Duran M, Weitzel JN, Bobolis KA, Sand SR, Fontaine A, Savarese A, Pasini B, Peissel B, Bonanni B, Zaffaroni D, Vignolo-Lutati F, Scuvera G, Giannini G, Bernard L, Genuardi M, Radice P, Dolcetti R, Manoukian S, Pensotti V, Gismondi V, Yannoukakos D, Fostira F, Garber J, Torres D, Rashid MU, Hamann U, Peock S, Frost D, Platte R, Evans DG, Eeles R, Davidson R, Eccles D, Cole T, Cook J, Brewer C, Hodgson S, Morrison PJ, Walker L, Porteous ME, Kennedy MJ, Izatt L, Adlard J, Donaldson A, Ellis S, Sharma P, Schmutzler RK, Wappenschmidt B, Becker A, Rhiem K, Hahnen E, Engel C, Meindl A, Engert S, Ditsch N, Arnold N, Plendl HJ, Mundhenke C, Niederacher D, Fleisch M, Sutter C, Bartram CR, Dikow N, Wang-Gohrke S, Gadzicki D, Steinemann D, Kast K, Beer M, Varon-Mateeva R, Gehrig A, Weber BH, Stoppa-Lyonnet D, Sinilnikova OM, Mazoyer S, Houdayer C, Belotti M, Gauthier-Villars M, Damiola F, Boutry-Kryza N, Lasset C, Sobol H, Peyrat JP, Muller D, Fricker JP, Collonge-Rame MA, Mortemousque I, Nogues C, Rouleau E, Isaacs C, De Paepe A, Poppe B, Claes K, De Leeneer K, Piedmonte M, Rodriguez G, Wakely K, Boggess J, Blank SV, Basil J, Azodi M, Phillips KA, Caldes T, de la Hoya M, Romero A, Nevanlinna H, Aittomäki K, van der Hout AH, Hogervorst FBL, Verhoef S, Collée JM, Seynaeve C, Oosterwijk JC, Gille JJP, Wijnen JT, Gómez Garcia EB, Kets CM, Ausems MGEM, Aalfs CM, Devilee P, Mensenkamp AR, Kwong A, Olah E, Papp J, Diez O, Lazaro C, Darder E, Blanco I, Salinas M, Jakubowska A, Lubinski J, Gronwald J, Jaworska-Bieniek K, Durda K, Sukiennicki G, Huzarski T, Byrski T, Cybulski C, Toloczko-Grabarek A, Złowocka-Perłowska E, Menkiszak J, Arason A, Barkardottir RB, Simard J, Laframboise R, Montagna M, Agata S, Alducci E, Peixoto A, Teixeira MR, Spurdle AB, Lee MH, Park SK, Kim SW, Friebel TM, Couch FJ, Lindor NM, Pankratz VS, Guidugli L, Wang X, Tischkowitz M, Foretova L, Vijai J, Offit K, Robson M, Rau-Murthy R, Kauff N, Fink-Retter A, Singer CF, Rappaport C, Gschwantler-Kaulich D, Pfeiler G, Tea MK, Berger A, Greene MH, Mai PL, Imyanitov EN, Toland AE, Senter L, Bojesen A, Pedersen IS, Skytte AB, Sunde L, Thomassen M, Moeller ST, Kruse TA, Jensen UB, Caligo MA, Aretini P, Teo SH, Selkirk CG, Hulick PJ, Andrulis I. Association of type and location of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations with risk of breast and ovarian cancer. JAMA 2015; 313:1347-61. [PMID: 25849179 PMCID: PMC4537700 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2014.5985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 347] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Limited information about the relationship between specific mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) and cancer risk exists. OBJECTIVE To identify mutation-specific cancer risks for carriers of BRCA1/2. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Observational study of women who were ascertained between 1937 and 2011 (median, 1999) and found to carry disease-associated BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. The international sample comprised 19,581 carriers of BRCA1 mutations and 11,900 carriers of BRCA2 mutations from 55 centers in 33 countries on 6 continents. We estimated hazard ratios for breast and ovarian cancer based on mutation type, function, and nucleotide position. We also estimated RHR, the ratio of breast vs ovarian cancer hazard ratios. A value of RHR greater than 1 indicated elevated breast cancer risk; a value of RHR less than 1 indicated elevated ovarian cancer risk. EXPOSURES Mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Breast and ovarian cancer risks. RESULTS Among BRCA1 mutation carriers, 9052 women (46%) were diagnosed with breast cancer, 2317 (12%) with ovarian cancer, 1041 (5%) with breast and ovarian cancer, and 7171 (37%) without cancer. Among BRCA2 mutation carriers, 6180 women (52%) were diagnosed with breast cancer, 682 (6%) with ovarian cancer, 272 (2%) with breast and ovarian cancer, and 4766 (40%) without cancer. In BRCA1, we identified 3 breast cancer cluster regions (BCCRs) located at c.179 to c.505 (BCCR1; RHR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.22-1.74; P = 2 × 10(-6)), c.4328 to c.4945 (BCCR2; RHR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.01-1.78; P = .04), and c. 5261 to c.5563 (BCCR2', RHR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.22-1.55; P = 6 × 10(-9)). We also identified an ovarian cancer cluster region (OCCR) from c.1380 to c.4062 (approximately exon 11) with RHR = 0.62 (95% CI, 0.56-0.70; P = 9 × 10(-17)). In BRCA2, we observed multiple BCCRs spanning c.1 to c.596 (BCCR1; RHR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.06-2.78; P = .03), c.772 to c.1806 (BCCR1'; RHR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.10-2.40; P = .01), and c.7394 to c.8904 (BCCR2; RHR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.69-3.16; P = .00002). We also identified 3 OCCRs: the first (OCCR1) spanned c.3249 to c.5681 that was adjacent to c.5946delT (6174delT; RHR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.44-0.60; P = 6 × 10(-17)). The second OCCR spanned c.6645 to c.7471 (OCCR2; RHR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.41-0.80; P = .001). Mutations conferring nonsense-mediated decay were associated with differential breast or ovarian cancer risks and an earlier age of breast cancer diagnosis for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Breast and ovarian cancer risks varied by type and location of BRCA1/2 mutations. With appropriate validation, these data may have implications for risk assessment and cancer prevention decision making for carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Rebbeck
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia2Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Nandita Mitra
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Fei Wan
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Olga M Sinilnikova
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, UMR Inserm, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Sue Healey
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lesley McGuffog
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvie Mazoyer
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, UMR Inserm, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Georgia Chenevix-Trench
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Douglas F Easton
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Antonis C Antoniou
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine L Nathanson
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia6Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | - Anya Kushnir
- Susanne Levy Gertner Oncogenetics Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | | | - Raanan Berger
- Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Jamal Zidan
- Oncology Institute, Rivkah Ziv Medical Center Zefat, Israel
| | | | - Hans Ehrencrona
- Department of Oncology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden12Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marie Stenmark-Askmalm
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Zakaria Einbeigi
- Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Niklas Loman
- Department of Oncology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Katja Harbst
- Department of Oncology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Johanna Rantala
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Beatrice Melin
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Dezheng Huo
- Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Olufunmilayo I Olopade
- Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Joyce Seldon
- UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Patricia A Ganz
- UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Robert L Nussbaum
- Department of Medicine and Genetics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Salina B Chan
- Cancer Risk Program, Helen Diller Family Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York
| | - Simon A Gayther
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Susan M Domchek
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia6Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Banu K Arun
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | - Karen H Lu
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
| | - Gillian Mitchell
- Division of Cancer Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 25Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Beth Y Karlan
- Women's Cancer Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Christine Walsh
- Women's Cancer Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jenny Lester
- Women's Cancer Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Andrew K Godwin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
| | - Harsh Pathak
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
| | - Eric Ross
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mary B Daly
- Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Alice S Whittemore
- Cancer Risk Program, Helen Diller Family Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Esther M John
- Department of Epidemiology, Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Fremont
| | | | - Mary Beth Terry
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - David E Goldgar
- Department of Dermatology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City
| | - Saundra S Buys
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City
| | - Ramunas Janavicius
- Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Clinics, Hematology, Oncology, and Transfusion Medicine Center, Department of Molecular and Regenerative Medicine, State Research Institute Innovative Medicine Center, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Nadine Tung
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Linda Steele
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Susan L Neuhausen
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Yuan Chun Ding
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Bent Ejlertsen
- Departments of Oncology or Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne-Marie Gerdes
- Departments of Oncology or Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas v O Hansen
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Ana Osorio
- Human Genetics Group, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), and Biomedical Network on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Benitez
- Human Genetics Group and Genotyping Unit, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), and Biomedical Network on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Godino
- Hospital clinico Universitario "Lozano Blesa," Instituto de investigación sanitaria de Aragón (IIS), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Maria-Isabel Tejada
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory (Department of Genetics), Cruces University Hospital Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Mercedes Duran
- Institute of Biology and Molecular Genetics. Universidad de Valladolid (IBGM-UVA), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jeffrey N Weitzel
- Clinical Cancer Genetics, City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genetics Community Research Network, Duarte, California
| | - Kristie A Bobolis
- Clinical Cancer Genetics, City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genetics Community Research Network, Duarte, California
| | - Sharon R Sand
- Clinical Cancer Genetics, City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genetics Community Research Network, Duarte, California
| | - Annette Fontaine
- Clinical Cancer Genetics, City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genetics Community Research Network, Duarte, California
| | - Antonella Savarese
- Unit of Genetic Counselling, Medical Oncology Department, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Pasini
- Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, and AO Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy
| | - Bernard Peissel
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (INT), Milan, Italy
| | - Bernardo Bonanni
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Genetics, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Zaffaroni
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (INT), Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giulietta Scuvera
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (INT), Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Giannini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Loris Bernard
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy57Cogentech Cancer Genetic Test Laboratory, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Genuardi
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Catholic University, "A. Gemelli" Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Radice
- Unit of Molecular Bases of Genetic Risk and Genetic Testing, Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori (INT), Milan, Italy60IFOM, Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Dolcetti
- Cancer Bioimmunotherapy Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCSCRO Aviano National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Siranoush Manoukian
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (INT), Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Pensotti
- Cogentech Cancer Genetic Test Laboratory, Milan, Italy60IFOM, Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy
| | - Viviana Gismondi
- Unit of Hereditary Cancer, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy
| | - Drakoulis Yannoukakos
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, IRRP, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" Aghia Paraskevi Attikis, Athens, Greece
| | - Florentia Fostira
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, IRRP, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" Aghia Paraskevi Attikis, Athens, Greece
| | - Judy Garber
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Diana Torres
- Instituto de Genética Humana, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia65Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Muhammad Usman Rashid
- Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany 66Department of Basic Sciences, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH & RC), Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ute Hamann
- Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susan Peock
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Debra Frost
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Radka Platte
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - D Gareth Evans
- Genetic Medicine, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalind Eeles
- Oncogenetics Team, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemarie Davidson
- Ferguson-Smith Centre for Clinical Genetics, Yorkhill Hospitals, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Eccles
- Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor Cole
- West Midlands Regional Genetics Service, Birmingham Women's Hospital Healthcare NHS Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jackie Cook
- Sheffield Clinical Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Carole Brewer
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Shirley Hodgson
- Clinical Genetics Department, St Georges Hospital, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick J Morrison
- Northern Ireland Regional Genetics Centre, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Walker
- Oxford Regional Genetics Service, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mary E Porteous
- South East of Scotland Regional Genetics Service, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - M John Kennedy
- Academic Unit of Clinical and Molecular Oncology, Trinity College Dublin and St James's Hospital, Dublin, Eire
| | - Louise Izatt
- South East Thames Regional Genetics Service, Guy's Hospital London, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Adlard
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Donaldson
- South West Regional Genetics Service, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Ellis
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Priyanka Sharma
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
| | - Rita Katharina Schmutzler
- Center for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Barbara Wappenschmidt
- Center for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexandra Becker
- Center for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Rhiem
- Center for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eric Hahnen
- Center for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christoph Engel
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alfons Meindl
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Division of Tumor Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Engert
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Division of Tumor Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nina Ditsch
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Division of Tumor Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Norbert Arnold
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany
| | - Hans Jörg Plendl
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany
| | - Christoph Mundhenke
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany
| | - Dieter Niederacher
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Markus Fleisch
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Sutter
- Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - C R Bartram
- Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicola Dikow
- Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shan Wang-Gohrke
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dorothea Gadzicki
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Doris Steinemann
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Karin Kast
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marit Beer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Andrea Gehrig
- Centre of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard H Weber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet
- Institut Curie, Department of Tumour Biology, Paris, France98Institut Curie, INSERM U830, Paris, France99Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Olga M Sinilnikova
- Unité Mixte de Génétique Constitutionnelle des Cancers Fréquents, Hospices Civils de Lyon-Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France101INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Sylvie Mazoyer
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Claude Houdayer
- Institut Curie, Department of Tumour Biology, Paris, France99Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Muriel Belotti
- Institut Curie, Department of Tumour Biology, Paris, France
| | | | - Francesca Damiola
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Nadia Boutry-Kryza
- Unité Mixte de Génétique Constitutionnelle des Cancers Fréquents, Hospices Civils de Lyon-Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Christine Lasset
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5558, Lyon, France103Unité de Prévention et d'Epidémiologie Génétique, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Hagay Sobol
- Département Oncologie Génétique, Prévention et Dépistage, INSERM CIC-P9502, Institut Paoli-Calmettes/Université d'Aix-Marseille II, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Peyrat
- Laboratoire d'Oncologie Moléculaire Humaine, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France
| | - Danièle Muller
- Unité d'Oncogénétique, CLCC Paul Strauss, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Marie-Agnès Collonge-Rame
- Service de Génétique Biologique-Histologie-Biologie du Développement et de la Reproduction, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Besançon, France
| | | | - Catherine Nogues
- Oncogénétique Clinique, Hôpital René Huguenin/Institut Curie, Saint-Cloud, France
| | - Etienne Rouleau
- Laboratoire d'Oncogénétique, Hôpital René Huguenin/Institut Curie, Saint-Cloud, France
| | - Claudine Isaacs
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Anne De Paepe
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bruce Poppe
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Claes
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kim De Leeneer
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jack Basil
- Ohio State, Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati
| | - Masoud Azodi
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kelly-Anne Phillips
- Division of Cancer Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 25Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Trinidad Caldes
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel de la Hoya
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Atocha Romero
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Heli Nevanlinna
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kristiina Aittomäki
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annemarie H van der Hout
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center, Groningen University, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Senno Verhoef
- Family Cancer Clinic, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Margriet Collée
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Family Cancer Clinic, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline Seynaeve
- Department of Medical Oncology, Family Cancer Clinic, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan C Oosterwijk
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center, Groningen University, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes J P Gille
- Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Juul T Wijnen
- Department of Human Genetics and Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Encarna B Gómez Garcia
- Department of Clinical Genetics and GROW, School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, MUMC, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Carolien M Kets
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Margreet G E M Ausems
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cora M Aalfs
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Devilee
- Department of Human Genetics and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Arjen R Mensenkamp
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ava Kwong
- Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry, Hong Kong135Cancer Genetics Center, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Hong Kong136Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Edith Olah
- Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Janos Papp
- Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orland Diez
- Oncogenetics Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain139University Hospital of Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Conxi Lazaro
- Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Hereditary Cancer Program, IDIBELL-Catalan Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Darder
- Genetic Counseling Unit, Hereditary Cancer Program, IDIBGI-Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Blanco
- Genetic Counseling Unit, Hereditary Cancer Program, IDIBELL-Catalan Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica Salinas
- Genetic Counseling Unit, Hereditary Cancer Program, IDIBELL-Catalan Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Jakubowska
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jan Lubinski
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jacek Gronwald
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Jaworska-Bieniek
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland144Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Durda
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Sukiennicki
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Huzarski
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Byrski
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Cezary Cybulski
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | | | - Janusz Menkiszak
- Department of Surgical Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology of Adults and Adolescents, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Adalgeir Arason
- Department of Pathology, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland147BMC, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Rosa B Barkardottir
- Department of Pathology, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland147BMC, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Jacques Simard
- Canada Research Chair in Oncogenetics, Cancer Genomics Laboratory, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada149Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rachel Laframboise
- Medical Genetics Division, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada151Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology, IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Marco Montagna
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology, IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Simona Agata
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology, IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Elisa Alducci
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology, IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Ana Peixoto
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel R Teixeira
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal153Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Amanda B Spurdle
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Min Hyuk Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University and Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sue K Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Won Kim
- Department of Surgery, Daerim St Mary's Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tara M Friebel
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Fergus J Couch
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota159Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Noralane M Lindor
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Vernon S Pankratz
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Lucia Guidugli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Xianshu Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Marc Tischkowitz
- Program in Cancer Genetics, Departments of Human Genetics and Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada161Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lenka Foretova
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute and MF MU, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Joseph Vijai
- Clinical Genetics Service, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Kenneth Offit
- Clinical Genetics Service, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mark Robson
- Clinical Genetics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Rohini Rau-Murthy
- Clinical Genetics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Noah Kauff
- Clinical Genetics Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Anneliese Fink-Retter
- Department of OB/GYN and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian F Singer
- Department of OB/GYN and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Rappaport
- Department of OB/GYN and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Georg Pfeiler
- Department of OB/GYN and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Muy-Kheng Tea
- Department of OB/GYN and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Berger
- Department of OB/GYN and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mark H Greene
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Phuong L Mai
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | | | - Amanda Ewart Toland
- Divison of Human Cancer Genetics, Departments of Internal Medicine and Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Leigha Senter
- Divison of Human Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Anders Bojesen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark
| | - Inge Sokilde Pedersen
- Section of Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Lone Sunde
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mads Thomassen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark
| | | | - Torben A Kruse
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark
| | - Uffe Birk Jensen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Maria Adelaide Caligo
- Section of Genetic Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Pisa and University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Aretini
- Section of Genetic Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Pisa and University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Soo-Hwang Teo
- Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation, Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Malaysia176Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya Cancer Research Institute, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Christina G Selkirk
- NorthShore University HealthSystem, Department of Medicine, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Peter J Hulick
- NorthShore University HealthSystem, Department of Medicine, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Irene Andrulis
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Ratnapriya R, Zhan X, Fariss RN, Branham KE, Zipprer D, Chakarova CF, Sergeev YV, Campos MM, Othman M, Friedman JS, Maminishkis A, Waseem NH, Brooks M, Rajasimha HK, Edwards AO, Lotery A, Klein BE, Truitt BJ, Li B, Schaumberg DA, Morgan DJ, Morrison MA, Souied E, Tsironi EE, Grassmann F, Fishman GA, Silvestri G, Scholl HPN, Kim IK, Ramke J, Tuo J, Merriam JE, Merriam JC, Park KH, Olson LM, Farrer LA, Johnson MP, Peachey NS, Lathrop M, Baron RV, Igo RP, Klein R, Hagstrom SA, Kamatani Y, Martin TM, Jiang Y, Conley Y, Sahel JA, Zack DJ, Chan CC, Pericak-Vance MA, Jacobson SG, Gorin MB, Klein ML, Allikmets R, Iyengar SK, Weber BH, Haines JL, Léveillard T, Deangelis MM, Stambolian D, Weeks DE, Bhattacharya SS, Chew EY, Heckenlively JR, Abecasis GR, Swaroop A. Rare and common variants in extracellular matrix gene Fibrillin 2 (FBN2) are associated with macular degeneration. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 23:5827-37. [PMID: 24899048 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases affecting the macula constitute a major cause of incurable vision loss and exhibit considerable clinical and genetic heterogeneity, from early-onset monogenic disease to multifactorial late-onset age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As part of our continued efforts to define genetic causes of macular degeneration, we performed whole exome sequencing in four individuals of a two-generation family with autosomal dominant maculopathy and identified a rare variant p.Glu1144Lys in Fibrillin 2 (FBN2), a glycoprotein of the elastin-rich extracellular matrix (ECM). Sanger sequencing validated the segregation of this variant in the complete pedigree, including two additional affected and one unaffected individual. Sequencing of 192 maculopathy patients revealed additional rare variants, predicted to disrupt FBN2 function. We then undertook additional studies to explore the relationship of FBN2 to macular disease. We show that FBN2 localizes to Bruch's membrane and its expression appears to be reduced in aging and AMD eyes, prompting us to examine its relationship with AMD. We detect suggestive association of a common FBN2 non-synonymous variant, rs154001 (p.Val965Ile) with AMD in 10 337 cases and 11 174 controls (OR = 1.10; P-value = 3.79 × 10(-5)). Thus, it appears that rare and common variants in a single gene--FBN2--can contribute to Mendelian and complex forms of macular degeneration. Our studies provide genetic evidence for a key role of elastin microfibers and Bruch's membrane in maintaining blood-retina homeostasis and establish the importance of studying orphan diseases for understanding more common clinical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaowei Zhan
- Center for Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics and
| | | | - Kari E Branham
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - David Zipprer
- Neurobiology Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory
| | - Christina F Chakarova
- Department of Genetics, UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | | | | | - Mohammad Othman
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | | | - Naushin H Waseem
- Department of Genetics, UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | | | | | - Albert O Edwards
- Institute for Molecular Biology, University of Oregon and Oregon Retina, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Andrew Lotery
- Faculty of Medicine, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Barbara E Klein
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and, Public Health, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Barbara J Truitt
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Bingshan Li
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Debra A Schaumberg
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Denise J Morgan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Margaux A Morrison
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Eric Souied
- Hôpital Intercommunal de Créteil, Hôpital Henri Mondor - Université Paris Est Créteil 94000, France
| | - Evangelia E Tsironi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, Larissa, Greece
| | - Felix Grassmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Gerald A Fishman
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | | | - Hendrik P N Scholl
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ivana K Kim
- Retina Service and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jacqueline Ramke
- The Fred Hollows Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Kyu Hyung Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul 463-707, Republic of Korea
| | - Lana M Olson
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Departments of Medicine (Section of Biomedical Genetics), Ophthalmology and Biostatistics, Neurology, Epidemiology, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Neal S Peachey
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Mark Lathrop
- Department of Genetics, Institut de la Vision - Inserm Université Pierre et Marie Curie UMR-S 968, Paris, France
| | | | - Robert P Igo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ronald Klein
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and, Public Health, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | | | - Yoichiro Kamatani
- Department of Genetics, Institut de la Vision - Inserm Université Pierre et Marie Curie UMR-S 968, Paris, France
| | - Tammy M Martin
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Yingda Jiang
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yvette Conley
- Health Promotion and Development, School of Nursing, 440 Victoria Building, 3500 Victoria St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jose-Alan Sahel
- Department of Genetics, Institut de la Vision - Inserm Université Pierre et Marie Curie UMR-S 968, Paris, France
| | - Donald J Zack
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | | | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Samuel G Jacobson
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael B Gorin
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael L Klein
- Macular Degeneration Center, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science, University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Rando Allikmets
- Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sudha K Iyengar
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Bernhard H Weber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Jonathan L Haines
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Thierry Léveillard
- Department of Genetics, Institut de la Vision - Inserm Université Pierre et Marie Curie UMR-S 968, Paris, France
| | - Margaret M Deangelis
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Dwight Stambolian
- Department of Ophthalmology, and Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 9104, USA
| | - Daniel E Weeks
- Department of Human Genetics and Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Shomi S Bhattacharya
- Department of Genetics, UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Emily Y Chew
- Clinical Trials Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - John R Heckenlively
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Anand Swaroop
- Neurobiology Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory,
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5
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Keilhauer CN, Fritsche LG, Guthoff R, Haubitz I, Weber BH. Age-related macular degeneration and coronary heart disease: Evaluation of genetic and environmental associations. Eur J Med Genet 2013; 56:72-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2012.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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McKay GJ, Silvestri G, Chakravarthy U, Dasari S, Fritsche LG, Weber BH, Keilhauer CN, Klein ML, Francis PJ, Klaver CC, Vingerling JR, Ho L, De Jong PTDV, Dean M, Sawitzke J, Baird PN, Guymer RH, Stambolian D, Orlin A, Seddon JM, Peter I, Wright AF, Hayward C, Lotery AJ, Ennis S, Gorin MB, Weeks DE, Kuo CL, Hingorani AD, Sofat R, Cipriani V, Swaroop A, Othman M, Kanda A, Chen W, Abecasis GR, Yates JR, Webster AR, Moore AT, Seland JH, Rahu M, Soubrane G, Tomazzoli L, Topouzis F, Vioque J, Young IS, Fletcher AE, Patterson CC. Variations in apolipoprotein E frequency with age in a pooled analysis of a large group of older people. Am J Epidemiol 2011; 173:1357-64. [PMID: 21498624 PMCID: PMC3145394 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwr015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2010] [Accepted: 01/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has been reported to be associated with longevity in humans. The authors assessed the allelic distribution of APOE isoforms ε2, ε3, and ε4 among 10,623 participants from 15 case-control and cohort studies of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in populations of European ancestry (study dates ranged from 1990 to 2009). The authors included only the 10,623 control subjects from these studies who were classified as having no evidence of AMD, since variation within the APOE gene has previously been associated with AMD. In an analysis stratified by study center, gender, and smoking status, there was a decreasing frequency of the APOE ε4 isoform with increasing age (χ(2) for trend = 14.9 (1 df); P = 0.0001), with a concomitant increase in the ε3 isoform (χ(2) for trend = 11.3 (1 df); P = 0.001). The association with age was strongest in ε4 homozygotes; the frequency of ε4 homozygosity decreased from 2.7% for participants aged 60 years or less to 0.8% for those over age 85 years, while the proportion of participants with the ε3/ε4 genotype decreased from 26.8% to 17.5% across the same age range. Gender had no significant effect on the isoform frequencies. This study provides strong support for an association of the APOE gene with human longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth J McKay
- Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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7
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8
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Allikmets R, Bergen AA, Dean M, Guymer RH, Hageman GS, Klaver CC, Stefansson K, Weber BH. Geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration and TLR3. N Engl J Med 2009; 360:2252-4; author reply 2255-6. [PMID: 19469038 PMCID: PMC4853941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
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9
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Mah N, Stoehr H, Schulz HL, White K, Weber BH. Identification of a novel retina-specific gene located in a subtelomeric region with polymorphic distribution among multiple human chromosomes. Biochim Biophys Acta 2001; 1522:167-74. [PMID: 11779631 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4781(01)00328-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The human retina is comprised of a large number of cell types with highly specialized functions that depend on the action of countless genes, many of which are exclusively expressed in the retina. We have isolated a novel retinal gene, termed F379. The transcript was initially identified as a cluster of ESTs derived predominantly from retinal cDNA libraries and its retinal transcription confirmed by Northern blot and RT-PCR. Screening of retinal cDNA libraries yielded four clones that were assembled into a 1188 bp consensus sequence. The putative open reading frame includes an unusual configuration of Alu and MIR repeats and encodes a putative 85 aa peptide with no significant homology to any known protein sequence outside of the Alu and MIR elements. Comparison with genomic sequence determined that F379 consists of three exons and maps to multiple locations throughout the genome, a finding confirmed by PCR screening of a somatic cell hybrid mapping panel. F379 appears to be contained within a region of subtelomeric DNA that is duplicated in a polymorphic distribution to multiple chromosomes. Comparison of interchromosomal sequence variation with the sequences of expressed transcripts suggests that the gene is transcribed in the human retina from at least four different chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mah
- Institut fuer Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universitaet Wuerzburg, D-97074, Wuerzburg, Germany
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10
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Sauer CG, White K, Stöhr H, Grimm T, Hutchinson A, Bernstein PS, Lewis RA, Simonelli F, Pauleikhoff D, Allikmets R, Weber BH. Evaluation of the G protein coupled receptor-75 (GPR75) in age related macular degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol 2001; 85:969-75. [PMID: 11466257 PMCID: PMC1724093 DOI: 10.1136/bjo.85.8.969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A long term project was initiated to identify and to characterise genes that are expressed exclusively or preferentially in the retina as candidates for a genetic susceptibility to age related macular degeneration (AMD). A transcript represented by a cluster of five human expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived exclusively from retinal cDNA libraries was identified. METHODS Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses confirmed preferential retinal expression of the gene, which encodes a G protein coupled receptor, GPR75. Following isolation of the full length cDNA and determination of the genomic organisation, the coding sequence of GPR75 was screened for mutations in 535 AMD patients and 252 controls from Germany, the United States, and Italy. Employed methods included single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), and direct sequencing. RESULTS Nine different sequence variations were identified in patients and control individuals. Three of these (-30A>C, 150G>A, and 346G>A) likely represent polymorphic variants. Each of six alterations (-4G>A, N78K, P99L, S108T, T135P, and Q234X) were found once in single AMD patients and were considered variants that could affect the protein function and potentially cause retinal pathology. CONCLUSION The presence of six potential pathogenic variants in a cohort of 535 AMD patients alone does not provide statistically significant evidence for the association of sequence variation in GPR75 with genetic predisposition to AMD. However, a possible connection between the variants and age related retinal pathology cannot be discarded. Functional studies are needed to clarify the role of GPR75 in retinal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Sauer
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Germany
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11
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Abstract
To identify novel retina-specific genes systematically, we are performing expression profiling of retina ESTs that have been assembled in the human UniGene clusters. In this study, we report the 2619-bp full-length cDNA cloning and genomic organization of a gene corresponding to an EST cluster that was demonstrated to be exclusively present in retinal tissue. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence to sequence from protein databases revealed this gene, termed MPP4, to be a member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) protein family. It consists of 637 amino acids and contains the characteristic MAGUK motifs: an N-terminal PDZ domain, a central src homology 3 region (SH3), and a C-terminal guanylate kinase-like (GUK) domain. Due to the presence of only one PDZ motif, MPP4 is part of the p55 subfamily, named after the major palmitoylated erythrocyte membrane protein p55/MPP1. MAGUK proteins serve as molecular scaffolds to coordinate the membrane-associated cytoskeleton, ion channel and receptor clustering, signaling pathways, and the formation of cellular junctions. The abundant expression of MPP4 in the human retina suggests an important but so far unknown function in this tissue. Colocalization of MPP4 and autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa 26 (RP26) on chromosome 2q31-q33 makes this transcript an attractive candidate for the disease gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Stöhr
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, D-97074, Germany
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12
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Scholl HP, Kremers J, Vonthein R, White K, Weber BH. L- and M-cone-driven electroretinograms in Stargardt's macular dystrophy-fundus flavimaculatus. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2001; 42:1380-9. [PMID: 11328755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To study the dynamics of the long (L)- and middle (M)-wavelength-sensitive cone-driven pathways and their interactions in patients with Stargardt's macular dystrophy-fundus flavimaculatus (SMD-FF) and to correlate them with other clinical parameters and individual genotypes. METHODS Forty-seven patients with SMD-FF participated in the study. In addition to standard 30-Hz flicker electroretinograms (30-Hz fERG), ERG responses were measured to stimuli that modulated exclusively the L or the M cones (L/M cones) or the two simultaneously. Blood samples were screened for mutations in the 50 exons of the ABCA4 gene. RESULTS Patients with SMD-FF did not show a decrease in the mean L/M-cone-driven ERG sensitivity, but there was a significant increase in the interindividual variability. The mean L-/M-cone weighting ratio was normal. However, the L-cone-driven ERG was significantly phase delayed, whereas the M-cone-driven ERG was significantly phase advanced. These phase changes were significantly correlated with disease duration. The amplitude and implicit time of the standard 30-Hz fERG both correlated significantly with the L/M-cone-driven ERG sensitivity and with the phase difference between the L/M-cone-driven ERGs, indicating the complex origin of the standard 30-Hz fERG. Probable disease-associated mutations in the ABCA4 gene were found in 40 of 45 patients, suggesting that they form a genetically fairly uniform SMD-FF study group. There was no correlation between the genotype and the L/M-cone-driven ERGS: CONCLUSIONS The changes in L/M-cone-driven ERG sensitivity and phase possibly represent two independent disease processes. The phase changes are similar to those found in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and possibly are a general feature of retinal dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H P Scholl
- Department of Experimental Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Röntgenweg 11, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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13
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Stöhr H, Mah N, Schulz HL, Gehrig A, Fröhlich S, Weber BH. EST mining of the UniGene dataset to identify retina-specific genes. Cytogenet Cell Genet 2001; 91:267-77. [PMID: 11173868 DOI: 10.1159/000056856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disorder affecting the visual system with a high prevalence among the elderly population but with no effective therapy available at present. To better understand the pathogenesis of this disorder, the identification of the genetic factors and the determination of their contribution to AMD is needed. Towards this goal, we are pursuing a strategy that makes use of the EST data processed in the UniGene database and aims at the generation of a comprehensive catalogue of genes preferentially active in the human retina. Subsequently, these genes will be systematically assessed in AMD. We performed a retina EST sampling and obtained a total of 673 clusters containing only retina ESTs as well as 568 clusters with at least 30% of the ESTs in each cluster originating from retina cDNA libraries. Of these, 180 representative EST clusters with varying retina and non-retina EST contents were analyzed for their in vitro expression. This approach identified 39 transcripts with retina-specific expression. One of these genes (C18orf2) mapping to chromosome 18 was further characterized. Multiple C18orf2 transcripts display a complex pattern of differential splicing in the human retina. The various isoforms encode hypothetical polypeptides with no homologies to known proteins or protein motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Stöhr
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg , Germany
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14
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15
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Abstract
The early onset of multiple drusen in the posterior pole of the retina is characteristic of a group of macular dystrophies often referred to as dominant or radial drusen. At least two forms, Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy (DHRD) and Malattia Leventinese (MLVT), are associated with a single missense mutation (R345W) in the gene encoding the EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein-1 (EFEMP1) and are now thought to represent a single entity. Here, we present a further evaluation of the role of EFEMP1 in the pathogenesis of sporadic forms of early onset drusen. We analyzed all coding exons of the EFEMP1 gene by SSCP analysis in 14 unrelated individuals with early onset of multiple drusen and no apparent family history of the disease. In this patient group, we did not detect the R345W mutation or any other disease-associated mutation. Three different polymorphisms and two intragenic polymorphic repeats were present in similar frequencies in the patients and control individuals. We conclude that EFEMP1 is unlikely to be involved in the disease in this patient group. This suggests that mutations in a different as yet unknown gene or genes may lead to the early onset drusen phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Sauer
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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16
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Molday LL, Hicks D, Sauer CG, Weber BH, Molday RS. Expression of X-linked retinoschisis protein RS1 in photoreceptor and bipolar cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2001; 42:816-25. [PMID: 11222545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine the biochemical properties, cell expression, and localization of RS1, the product of the gene responsible for X-linked juvenile retinoschisis. METHODS Rs1h mRNA expression was measured from the eyes of wild-type and rd/rd mice by Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Specific antibodies raised against the N terminus of RS1 were used as probes to examine the properties and distribution of RS1 in retina, retinal cell cultures, and transfected COS-1 cells by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy. RESULTS Rs1h mRNA expression was detected in the retina of postnatal day (P)11 and adult CD1 mice, but not homozygous rd/rd mice by Northern blot analysis. However, Rs1h expression was detected in rd/rd mice by RT-PCR. RS1 migrated as a single 24-kDa polypeptide under disulfide-reducing conditions and a larger complex (>95 kDa) under nonreducing conditions in the membrane fraction of retinal tissue homogenates and transfected COS-1 cells. RS1 antibodies specifically stained rod and cone photoreceptors and most bipolar cells, but not Müller cells, ganglion cells, or the inner limiting membrane of adult and developing retina as revealed in double-labeling studies. RS1 antibodies also labeled retinal bipolar cells of photoreceptorless mice and retinal bipolar cells grown in cell culture. CONCLUSIONS RS1 is expressed and assembled in photoreceptors of the outer retina and bipolar cells of the inner retina as a disulfide-linked oligomeric protein complex. The secreted complex associates with the surface of these cells, where it may function as a cell adhesion protein to maintain the integrity of the central and peripheral retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- L L Molday
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, 2146 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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17
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Hofferbert S, Worringen U, Backe J, Rückert EM, White K, Faller H, Grimm T, Caffier H, Chang-Claude J, Weber BH. Simultaneous interdisciplinary counseling in German breast/ovarian cancer families: first experiences with patient perceptions, surveillance behavior and acceptance of genetic testing. Genet Couns 2001; 11:127-46. [PMID: 10893664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
As part of a multicenter study supported by the German Mildred Scheel foundation we have established an interdisciplinary counseling setting for members of breast and/or ovarian cancer families. We offer simultaneous counseling by a team consisting of a geneticist, a gynecologist and a psycho-oncologist. Here we describe our counseling protocol and our first short-term experience with this interdisciplinary approach. Preliminary data on patient perceptions and behaviors in the context of DNA testing are reported. Overall, our counseling approach was perceived as beneficial both by the counselors and the consultants. A marked overestimation of the risk to develop breast and/or ovarian cancer was noted in the group of unaffected individuals from medium to low risk breast cancer families in contrast to an appropriate risk perception in members from high risk families. All participants shared many of the same expectations about genetic testing and counseling and appeared to base their decision-making about testing on the risk classification given by the genetic counselor. The reported participation in gynecological cancer prevention programs was high in all families at risk, but was less sufficient in unaffected as compared to affected persons. Although current data on BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation analyses render testing in medium to low risk individuals questionable, our findings emphasize the importance of genetic counseling and education in all risk categories of breast and/or ovarian cancer families.
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18
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Scholl HP, Langrová H, Weber BH, Zrenner E, Apfelstedt-Sylla E. Clinical electrophysiology of two rod pathways: normative values and clinical application. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2001; 239:71-80. [PMID: 11372548 DOI: 10.1007/s004170000232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The scotopic 15-Hz flicker electroretinogram (ERG) has two limbs (slow and fast ERG rod signals), and these have been attributed to two retinal rod pathways (the ON rod bipolar and AII amacrine pathway and the rodcone gap-junction pathway). The aim of this study was to provide normative values of the scotopic 15-Hz flicker ERG, to estimate the inter-individual variability, and to apply this method to a clinical setting. METHODS Twenty-two normal subjects, one patient with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and two patients with Stargardt's mascular dystrophy (SMD) participated in the study. The SMD patients were screened for mutations in the 50 exons of the ABCA4 (formerly ABCR) gene. We measured ERG response amplitudes and phases to flicker intensities ranging from -3.37 to -0.57 log scotopic trolands s at a flicker frequency of 15 Hz. RESULTS The normal scotopic 15-Hz flicker ERG showed a biphasic amplitude pattern with a minimum at about-1.57 log scotopic trolands s, where there was an abrupt phase shift of about 180 deg. The inter-individual variability in ERG amplitude ranged from 47% to 67% for the slow and from 41% to 64% for the fast rod signal. Both the RP patient and the SMD patients (who were compound heterozygotes for mutations in the ABCA4 gene) showed reduced amplitudes for the two rod ERG pathways. CONCLUSION The inter-individual variability might be explained by anatomical differences between individual retinae. In the RP patient, the amplitude reductions corresponded well with the standard rod ERG. In the SMD patients, however, the scotopic 15-Hz flicker ERG revealed rod dysfunction, whereas the standard rod ERG was within normal limits. The scotopic 15-Hz flicker method may be more sensitive than the standard rod ERG.
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Affiliation(s)
- H P Scholl
- University Eye Clinic, Schleichstrasse 12-16, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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19
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Oldenburg J, Ivaskevicius V, Rost S, Fregin A, White K, Holinski-Feder E, Müller CR, Weber BH. Evaluation of DHPLC in the analysis of hemophilia A. J Biochem Biophys Methods 2001; 47:39-51. [PMID: 11179760 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-022x(00)00150-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The manifestation of hemophilia A, a common hereditary bleeding disorder in humans, is caused by abnormalities in the factor VIII (FVIII) gene. A wide range of different mutations has been identified and provides the genetic basis for the extensive variability observed in the clinical phenotype. The knowledge of a specific mutation is of great interest as this may facilitate genetic counseling and prediction of the risk of anti-FVIII antibody development, the most serious complication in hemophilia A treatment to date. Due to its considerable size (7.2 kb of the coding sequence, represented by 26 exons), mutation detection in this gene represents a challenge that is only partially met by conventional screening methods such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) or single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP). These techniques are time consuming, require specific expertise and are limited to detection rates of 70-85%. In contrast, the recently introduced denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC) offers a promising new method for a fast and sensitive analysis of PCR-amplified DNA fragments. To test the applicability of dHPLC in the molecular diagnosis of hemophilia A, we first assessed a cohort of 156 patients with previously identified mutations in the FVIII gene. Applying empirically determined exon-specific melting profiles, a total of 150 mutations (96.2%) were readily detected. Five mutations (3.2%) could be identified after temperatures were optimized for the specific nucleotide change. One mutation (0.6%) failed to produce a detectable heteroduplex signal. In a second series, we analyzed 27 hemophiliacs in whom the mutation was not identified after extensive DGGE and chemical mismatch cleavage (CMC) analysis. In 19 of these patients (70.4%), dHPLC facilitated the detection of the disease-associated nucleotide alterations. From these findings we conclude that the dHPLC technology is a highly sensitive method well suited to the molecular analysis of hemophilia A.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Oldenburg
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany.
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Weber BH. Recent advances in the molecular genetics of hereditary retinal dystrophies with primary involvement of the macula. Acta Anat (Basel) 2000; 162:65-74. [PMID: 9831752 DOI: 10.1159/000046470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary dystrophies of the central retina and choroid are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by preferential loss of macular function and consequently loss of central and color vision. The primary causes leading to the degenerative processes are largely unknown although recent progress in human molecular genetics is most promising in providing novel insights into the basic biochemical mechanisms of these dystrophies. To date, the disease loci of more than 20 maculopathies including cone and cone-rod dystrophies have been mapped to specific chromosomal regions of which seven disease genes have already been identified. As the goals of the Human Genome Initiative approach completion, the cloning of the genes involved in the etiology of human retinopathies will be greatly simplified providing the basis for a more comprehensive understanding of retinal function and dysfunction. In addition, these advances will facilitate the identification of individuals at risk at a presymptomatic or initial stage of disease, thus creating a unique opportunity to devise novel therapeutic strategies that will primarily be aimed at an early intervention with the potential to either delay or even prevent the development of disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- B H Weber
- Institut für Humangenetik der Universität, Biozentrum, Würzburg, Deutschland.
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21
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Abstract
Human claudin-1 is an integral protein component of tight junctions, a structure controlling cell-to-cell adhesion and, consequently, regulating paracellular and transcellular transport of solutes across human epithelia and endothelia. Recently, a claudin-1 (CLDN1) cDNA has been isolated from human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). CLDN1 expression in HMECs, in contrast to low or undetectable levels of expression in a number of breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines, points to CLDN1 as a possible tumor-suppressor gene. In order to evaluate the CLDN-1 gene in sporadic and hereditary breast cancer, we have characterized its genomic organization and have screened the four coding exons for somatic mutations in 96 sporadic breast carcinomas and for germline mutations in 93 breast cancer patients with a strong family history of breast cancer. In addition, we have compared the 5'-upstream sequences of the human and murine CLDN1 genes to identify putative promoter sequences and have examined both the promoter and coding regions of the human gene in the breast cancer cell lines showing decreased CLDN1 expression. In the sporadic tumors and hereditary breast cancer patients, we have found no evidence to support the involvement of aberrant CLDN1 in breast tumorigenesis. Likewise, in the breast cancer cell lines, no genetic alterations in the promoter or coding sequences have been identified that would explain the loss of CLDN1 expression. Other regulatory or epigenetic factors may be involved in the down-regulation of this gene during breast cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Krämer
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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22
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Felbor U, Gehrig A, Sauer CG, Marquardt A, Köhler M, Schmid M, Weber BH. Genomic organization and chromosomal localization of the interphotoreceptor matrix proteoglycan-1 (IMPG1) gene: a candidate for 6q-linked retinopathies. Cytogenet Cell Genet 2000; 81:12-7. [PMID: 9691169 DOI: 10.1159/000015001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The interphotoreceptor matrix is a unique extracellular matrix occupying the space between the photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium. Due to its putative function in the maintenance and integrity of the photoreceptor cells, it is conceivable that it is involved in retinal degeneration processes. More recently, a novel gene encoding a 150-kDa interphotoreceptor matrix proteoglycan, designated IMPG1, was cloned and shown to be expressed in both rod and cone photoreceptor cells. To assess this gene in human retinal dystrophies, we have now determined the genomic organization and chromosome location of IMPG1. It is composed of 17 exons ranging from 21 to 533 bp, including an alternatively spliced exon 2. Using somatic cell hybrid mapping and FISH analysis, we have assigned the IMPG1 locus to 6q13-->q15. As this interval overlaps with the chromosomal loci of several human retinopathies, including autosomal dominant Stargardt-like macular dystrophy (STGD3), progressive bifocal chorioretinal atrophy (PBCRA), and North Carolina macular dystrophy (MCDR1), IMPG1 represents an attractive candidate for these 6q-linked disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Felbor
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg (Germany)
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23
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Stöhr H, Marquardt A, White K, Weber BH. cDNA cloning and genomic structure of a novel gene (C11orf9) localized to chromosome 11q12-->q13.1 which encodes a highly conserved, potential membrane-associated protein. Cytogenet Cell Genet 2000; 88:211-6. [PMID: 10828591 DOI: 10.1159/000015552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We have cloned and characterized a novel gene (C11orf9) mapping to chromosome 11q12-->q13.1. The transcript was initially identified as a partial cDNA sequence in the course of constructing a transcript map of the region between markers D11S1765 and uteroglobin known to encompass the gene causing Best disease. Using a combination of EST mapping, computational exon prediction, RT-PCR, and 5'-RACE its 5. 7-kb full-length cDNA sequence was subsequently obtained. The C11orf9 gene consists of 26 exons spanning 33.1 kb of genomic DNA and is located about 4.3 kb centromeric to FEN1. Biocomputational analysis predicts that its conceptual translation product of 1,111 amino acids contains two transmembrane helices as well as two proline-rich regions. Alignment reveals significant homology to hypothetical peptides from several other species including C. elegans and D. melanogaster, indicating a high degree of conservation throughout evolution. Northern Blot and RT-PCR analyses demonstrate widespread expression of a single transcript but varying degrees of abundance among the individual tissues tested. Mutation analysis of the entire coding sequence excluded C11orf9 as the Best disease gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Stöhr
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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Abstract
Mutations in the peripherin/RDS gene, which encodes a photoreceptor-specific membrane glycoprotein, have been identified in a variety of retinal phenotypes. However, the mechanisms by which specific mutations in this gene can cause typical features of retinal dystrophies clinically as distinct as retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration are still unknown. Recently, a single case of adult vitelliform macular dystrophy (AVMD) has been associated with a Y258Stop mutation. To assess the frequency of peripherin/RDS mutations in the clinically heterogeneous group of AVMD, we analyzed the entire coding region of the gene in 28 unrelated patients. We identified five novel mutations including two presumed null allele mutations. Thus, our results demonstrate that a significant portion of AVMD patients (18%) carry point mutations in peripherin/RDS, suggesting that this gene is frequently involved in the pathogenesis of this macular disorder. In addition, this study shows that the variable phenotypes in AVMD are due, at least in part, to genetic heterogeneity and are likely to be caused by mutations in disease genes thus far unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Felbor
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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Abstract
Evolutionary theory formulated in terms of complex systems dynamics shows interesting convergences with the approaches of developmental systems theory and biosemiotics, especially when applied to the problem of the origin of life. Although starting from difference conceptual assumptions, all three approaches agree on the importance of closure in the form of semipermeable chemical and informational boundaries and a more circumscribed role for DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- B H Weber
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton 92834, USA
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Marquardt A, Stöhr H, White K, Weber BH. cDNA cloning, genomic structure, and chromosomal localization of three members of the human fatty acid desaturase family. Genomics 2000; 66:175-83. [PMID: 10860662 DOI: 10.1006/geno.2000.6196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The insertion of double bonds into specific positions of fatty acids is achieved by the action of distinct desaturase enzymes. Here we report the cloning and characterization of three members of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene family in humans. Initially identified as cDNA fragments by direct cDNA selection within a defined 1.4-Mb region in 11q12-q13.1, full-length fatty acid desaturase-1 (FADS1) and fatty acid desaturase-2 (FADS2) transcripts were obtained by EST sequence assembly. A third member, fatty acid desaturase-3 (FADS3), was identified in silico revealing 62 and 70% nucleotide sequence identity with FADS1 and FADS2, respectively. The three genes are clustered within 92 kb of genomic DNA located 2 kb telomeric to FEN1 and 50 kb centromeric to VMD2 and are likely to have arisen evolutionarily from gene duplication as they share a remarkably similar exon/intron organization. Protein database searches identified FADS1, FADS2, and FADS3 as fusion products composed of an N-terminal cytochrome b5-like domain and a C-terminal multiple membrane-spanning desaturase portion.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Marquardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
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27
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Abstract
Mutations in the gene VMD2 are associated with autosomal dominant vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best disease). VMD2 is expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium and codes for a 585 amino acid putative transmembrane protein with undetermined functional properties. To date, 48 different mutations, predominantly missense, have been described in Best disease families. These mutations generally affect amino acids in the first 50% of the protein, and occur in four distinct clusters possibly representing regions of functional importance. VMD2 has also been investigated in other macular diseases. Mutations have been documented in a significant percentage of patients with adult vitelliform macular dystrophy (AVMD) and in a single case of "bull's-eye" maculopathy. Results of analysis in two large series of individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) suggest that VMD2 does not play a major role in this prevalent disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- K White
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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28
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Krämer F, White K, Pauleikhoff D, Gehrig A, Passmore L, Rivera A, Rudolph G, Kellner U, Andrassi M, Lorenz B, Rohrschneider K, Blankenagel A, Jurklies B, Schilling H, Schütt F, Holz FG, Weber BH. Mutations in the VMD2 gene are associated with juvenile-onset vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best disease) and adult vitelliform macular dystrophy but not age-related macular degeneration. Eur J Hum Genet 2000; 8:286-92. [PMID: 10854112 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, the VMD2 gene has been identified as the causative gene in juvenile-onset vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best disease), a central retinopathy primarily characterised by an impaired function of the retinal pigment epithelium. In this study we have further characterised the spectrum of VMD2 mutations in a series of 41 unrelated Best disease patients. Furthermore we expanded our analysis to include 32 unrelated patients with adult vitelliform macular dystrophy (AVMD) and 200 patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Both AVMD and AMD share some phenotypic features with Best disease such as abnormal subretinal accumulation of lipofuscin material, progressive geographic atrophy and choroidal neovascularisation, and may be the consequence of a common pathogenic mechanism. In total, we have identified 23 distinct disease-associated mutations in Best disease and four different mutations in AVMD. Two of the mutations found in the AVMD patients were also seen in Best disease suggesting a considerable overlap in the aetiology of these two disorders. There were no mutations found in the AMD group. In addition, four frequent intragenic polymorphisms did not reveal allelic association of the VMD2 locus with AMD. These data exclude a direct role of VMD2 in the predisposition to AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Krämer
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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Gehrig A, Weber BH, Lorenz B, Andrassi M. First molecular evidence for a de novo mutation in RS1 (XLRS1) associated with X linked juvenile retinoschisis. J Med Genet 1999; 36:932-4. [PMID: 10636740 PMCID: PMC1734280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
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30
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Zack DJ, Dean M, Molday RS, Nathans J, Redmond TM, Stone EM, Swaroop A, Valle D, Weber BH. What can we learn about age-related macular degeneration from other retinal diseases? Mol Vis 1999; 5:30. [PMID: 10562654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is increasingly recognized as a complex genetic disorder in which one or more genes contribute to an individual's susceptibility for developing the condition. Twin and family studies as well as population-based genetic epidemiologic methods have convincingly demonstrated the importance of genetics in AMD, though the extent of heritability, the number of genes involved, and the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of the condition remain unresolved. The extent to which other hereditary macular dystrophies such as Stargardts disease, familial radial drusen (malattia leventinese), Best's disease, and peripherin/RDS-related dystrophy are related to AMD remains unclear. Alzheimer's disease, another late onset, heterogeneous degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, offers a valuable model for identifying the issues that confront AMD genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Zack
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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31
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Laccone F, Engel U, Holinski-Feder E, Weigell-Weber M, Marczinek K, Nolte D, Morris-Rosendahl DJ, Zühlke C, Fuchs K, Weirich-Schwaiger H, Schlüter G, von Beust G, Vieira-Saecker AM, Weber BH, Riess O. DNA analysis of Huntington's disease: five years of experience in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Neurology 1999; 53:801-6. [PMID: 10489044 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.53.4.801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review the direct DNA testing for Huntington's disease (HD) in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria from 1993 to 1997, and to analyze the population with regard to age structure, gender, and family history. METHODS Twelve laboratories (nine in Germany, two in Austria, and one in Switzerland) recorded data pertaining to repeat number, gender, age at molecular diagnosis, and family history of probands. The molecular test was categorized as either diagnostic (for symptomatic individuals), presymptomatic (for individuals at risk), and prenatal (for pregnancies at risk). RESULTS A total of 3,090 HD patients, 992 individuals at risk, and 24 fetuses were investigated using DNA analysis. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed in 65.6% of patients. A total of 38.5% of individuals at risk inherited an expanded CAG repeat. The female-to-male ratio showed a distinct predominance of women both in the diagnostic and presymptomatic groups. Of the fetuses tested, six were carriers of an expanded CAG repeat. Two pregnancies were interrupted; one pregnancy was not. No information about the parents' decision was obtained for the remaining three pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS Approximately 20% of the estimated 10,000 HD patients living in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria have been identified by DNA analysis (total population, approximately 100 million; incidence of HD, 1:10,000). Assuming a ratio of HD patients to individuals at risk of 1:3, approximately 30,000 individuals are, in principle, eligible for a presymptomatic test. Less than 3 to 4% of individuals at risk have requested a presymptomatic test. This shows that the assumed enormous request of predictive testing has not occurred. More surprisingly, prenatal diagnoses were found to be rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Laccone
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Göttingen, Germany
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32
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Abstract
Albinism is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders resulting from deficiencies in pigmentation. Clinically, it is divided into ocular (OA) and oculocutaneous albinism (OCA). OCA involves lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes and results from mutations in the tyrosinase gene or in the P gene. OA mainly affects pigmentation in the visual system and may be a mild form of OCA or may be caused by other genetic defects. Clinical diagnosis of albinism type is difficult, because of the observed range of phenotypic variation. Thus, genetic analysis may be helpful with respect to a more accurate diagnosis. Here, we report the mutational profile, determined by genetic analysis of the tyrosinase and P genes, of a large German albino population. We have revealed a total of 42 distinct mutations, 19 of which are novel. Of the 74 unrelated patients screened, 32 (43%) had mutations in the tyrosinase gene, 16 (22%) had P gene mutations, and 26 (35%) patients had no detectable genetic abnormalities. This defines a population of albino patients who are tyrosinase-gene- and P-gene-negative and who thus may represent a good study group for searching for additional genes associated with albinism.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Passmore
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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33
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Abstract
The RS1 gene is the causative gene in X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (RS). We have screened this gene for mutations in 13 patients with RS and in 7 probands with senile retinoschisis, a sporadic, later-onset form of retinoschisis. Mutations were detected in all RS patients. Of the 11 different mutations identified, six have been reported previously and live are novel. We did not find mutations in any of the senile retinoschisis patients and conclude that senile retinoschisis is not the result of germline mutations in the RS1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gehrig
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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34
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Abstract
X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (RS) is a vitreoretinal degeneration affecting only males. Recently, the RS1 gene underlying this common cause of early vision loss was identified and shown to encode a 224-amino acid precursor protein including a 23-residue leader sequence as well as a highly conserved discoidin motif at the C-terminus. Functional studies in other proteins with discoidin motifs have implicated this domain in phospholipid binding and cell-cell interactions on membrane surfaces. Thus, similar functional properties may exist for RS1 and may be related to the histopathological findings in RS. In order to further pursue the pathophysiology of RS and to understand RS1 function in early eye development, we now report the identification and characterization of the complete murine Rs1h gene. The full-length Rs1h cDNA was isolated by RT-PCR with degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed from human RS1 cDNA sequences. Subsequently, the exon/intron structure was determined in genomic DNA from mouse strain 129/SvJ. We show that human and murine RS1 coding sequences, exon/intron boundaries, as well as retina-specific expression, are highly conserved between the two species. The conceptual human and murine protein sequences reveal 96% amino acid identity with no amino acid changes within the discoidin domain. In addition, alignment of 5'-flanking sequences upstream of the human and mouse RS1 translation initiation sites identified putative binding sites for several transcription factors including CRX, a homeodomain transcription factor known to activate the transcription of several photoreceptor-specific genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Gehrig
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Universität Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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35
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Backe J, Hofferbert S, Skawran B, Dörk T, Stuhrmann M, Karstens JH, Untch M, Meindl A, Burgemeister R, Chang-Claude J, Weber BH. Frequency of BRCA1 mutation 5382insC in German breast cancer patients. Gynecol Oncol 1999; 72:402-6. [PMID: 10053113 DOI: 10.1006/gyno.1998.5270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of the BRCA1 mutation 5382insC in German breast cancer patients with and without prior knowledge of a family history of breast cancer. METHODS Two groups of breast cancer patients were tested for the presence or absence of the 5382insC mutation using a PCR primer mismatch assay. A sample of 248 patients unrelated by genealogy was selected based on a history of breast and/or ovarian cancer in the families. In addition, a population-based sample of 800 unselected breast cancer patients was included in the analysis. Three intragenic DNA markers D17S1323, D17S1322, and D17S855, located at BRCA1 introns 12, 19, and 20, respectively, were utilized for allelic association studies as well as for haplotype analysis in 4 breast/ovarian cancer families. RESULTS The 5382insC mutation was identified in 10/248 (4.0%) familial breast cancer patients and in 8/800 (1.0%) unselected cases. Allelic association studies and haplotype analysis revealed an association of allele Nos. "6" at D17S1323 (chi2 value = 9.34, P = 0.007), "5" at D17S1322 (chi2 value = 3.62, P = 0.171), and "4" at D17S855 (chi2 value = 11.34, P = 0. 002) with the mutation 5382insC. CONCLUSION 5382insC constitutes a frequent BRCA1 mutation in German breast cancer patients. The significant allelic association between this mutation and two intragenic DNA markers (D17S1323, D17S855) and the elevated allele frequency at marker D17S1322 suggest an ancient founder in the German breast cancer population. The PCR primer mismatch assay described herein provides a rapid and reliable detection method for the recurrent 5382insC mutation and will be useful for the analysis of large breast cancer populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Backe
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, D-97074, Germany
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36
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Stöhr H, Klein J, Gehrig A, Koehler MR, Jurklies B, Kellner U, Leo-Kottler B, Schmid M, Weber BH. Mapping and genomic characterization of the gene encoding diacylglycerol kinase gamma (DAGK3): assessment of its role in dominant optic atrophy (OPA1). Hum Genet 1999; 104:99-105. [PMID: 10071200 DOI: 10.1007/s004390050917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The family of diacylglycerol kinases (DAGKs) is known to play an important role in signal transduction linked to phospholipid turnover. In the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, a human DAGK ortholog, DGK2, was shown to underlie the phenotype of the visual mutant retinal degeneration A (rdgA). Previously, the gene encoding a novel member of the human DAGK family, termed DAGK3, was cloned and demonstrated to be abundantly expressed in the human retina. Based on these findings we reasoned that DAGK3 might be an excellent candidate gene for a human eye disease. In the present study, we report the genomic organization of the human DAGK3 gene, which spans over 30 kb of genomic DNA interrupted by 23 introns. In addition, we have mapped the gene locus by fluorescence in situ hybridization to 3q27-28, overlapping the chromosomal region known to contain the gene underlying dominant optic atrophy (OPA1), the most common form of hereditary atrophy of the optic nerve. Mutational analysis of the entire coding region of DAGK3 in 19 unrelated German OPA1 patients has not revealed any disease-causing mutations, therefore excluding DAGK3 as a major cause underlying OPA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Stöhr
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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37
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Sandoval N, Platzer M, Rosenthal A, Dörk T, Bendix R, Skawran B, Stuhrmann M, Wegner RD, Sperling K, Banin S, Shiloh Y, Baumer A, Bernthaler U, Sennefelder H, Brohm M, Weber BH, Schindler D. Characterization of ATM gene mutations in 66 ataxia telangiectasia families. Hum Mol Genet 1999; 8:69-79. [PMID: 9887333 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/8.1.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by neurological and immunological symptoms, radiosensitivity and cancer predisposition. The gene mutated in AT, designated the ATM gene, encodes a large protein kinase with a PI-3 kinase-related domain. In this study, we investigated the mutational spectrum of the ATM gene in a cohort of AT patients living in Germany. We amplified and sequenced all 66 exons and the flanking untranslated regions from genomic DNA of 66 unrelated AT patients. We identified 46 different ATM mutations and 26 sequence polymorphisms and variants scattered throughout the gene. A total of 34 mutations have not been described in other populations. Seven mutations occurred in more than one family, but none of these accounted for more than five alleles in our patient group. The majority of the mutations were truncating, confirming that the absence of full-length ATM protein is the most common molecular basis of AT. Transcript analyses demonstrated single exon skipping as the consequence of most splice site substitutions, but a more complex pattern was observed for two mutations. Immunoblot studies of cell lines carrying ATM missense substitutions or in-frame deletions detected residual ATM protein in four cases. One of these mutations, a valine deletion proximal to the kinase domain, resulted in ATM protein levels >20% of normal in an AT lymphoblastoid cell line. In summary, our results survey and characterize a plethora of variations in the ATM gene identified by exon scanning sequencing and indicate a high diversity of mutations giving rise to AT in a non-isolated population.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Sandoval
- Department of Genome Analysis, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Jena, Germany, Institute of Human Genetics, Medical School Hannover, D-30625 Hannover, Germany
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38
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Chang-Claude J, Becher H, Caligo M, Eccles D, Evans G, Haites N, Hodgson S, Møller P, Weber BH, Stoppa-Lyonnet D. Risk estimation as a decision-making tool for genetic analysis of the breast cancer susceptibility genes. EC Demonstration Project on Familial Breast Cancer. Dis Markers 1999; 15:53-65. [PMID: 10595253 PMCID: PMC3850798 DOI: 10.1155/1999/238375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
For genetic counselling of a woman on familial breast cancer, an accurate evaluation of the probability that she carries a germ-line mutation is needed to assist in making decisions about genetic-testing. We used data from eight collaborating centres comprising 618 families (346 breast cancer only, 239 breast or ovarian cancer) recruited as research families or counselled for familial breast cancer, representing a broad range of family structures. Screening was performed in affected women from 618 families for germ-line mutations in BRCA1 and in 176 families for BRCA2 mutations, using different methods including SSCP, CSGE, DGGE, FAMA and PTT analysis followed by direct sequencing. Germ-line BRCA1 mutations were detected in 132 families and BRCA2 mutations in 16 families. The probability of being a carrier of a dominant breast cancer gene was calculated for the screened individual under the established genetic model for breast cancer susceptibility, first, with parameters for age-specific penetrances for breast cancer only [7] and, second, with age-specific penetrances for ovarian cancer in addition [20]. Our results indicate that the estimated probability of carrying a dominant breast cancer gene gives a direct measure of the likelihood of detecting mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. For breast/ovarian cancer families, the genetic model according to Narod et al. [20] is preferable for calculating the proband's genetic risk, and gives detection rates that indicate a 50% sensitivity of the gene test. Due to the incomplete BRCA2 screening of the families, we cannot yet draw any conclusions with respect to the breast cancer only families.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Chang-Claude
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Division of Epidemiology, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Marquardt A, Stöhr H, Passmore LA, Krämer F, Rivera A, Weber BH. Mutations in a novel gene, VMD2, encoding a protein of unknown properties cause juvenile-onset vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best's disease). Hum Mol Genet 1998; 7:1517-25. [PMID: 9700209 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/7.9.1517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best's disease) is an autosomal dominant, early-onset form of macular degeneration in which the primary defect is thought to occur at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. Genetic linkage has mapped the disease locus to chromosome 11q12-q13.1 within a 980 kb interval flanked by markers at loci D11S4076 and uteroglobin. To identify the disease gene, we systematically characterized genes from within the critical region and analysed the coding regions for mutations in 12 patients from large multigeneration Best's disease families. Following this approach, we identified a novel gene of unknown function carrying heterozygous mutations in all 12 probands. Of these, 10 result in distinct missense mutations of amino acids that are highly conserved throughout evolution, spanning a phylogenetic distance from Caenorhabditis elegans to human, and include V9M, A10T, W24C, R25Q, R218Q, Y227N, Y227C, V235M, P297A and F305S. One deletion mutation, DeltaI295, was found in two families and segregates with the disease in both cases. Northern blot analysis reveals tissue-specific expression for this gene, exclusively in the retinal pigment epithelium. In conclusion, our data provide strong evidence that mutations in the gene that we have identified cause Best's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Marquardt
- Institut für Humangenetik, Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
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40
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Gehrig A, Felbor U, Kelsell RE, Hunt DM, Maumenee IH, Weber BH. Assessment of the interphotoreceptor matrix proteoglycan-1 (IMPG1) gene localised to 6q13-q15 in autosomal dominant Stargardt-like disease (ADSTGD), progressive bifocal chorioretinal atrophy (PBCRA), and North Carolina macular dystrophy (MCDR1). J Med Genet 1998; 35:641-5. [PMID: 9719369 PMCID: PMC1051388 DOI: 10.1136/jmg.35.8.641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We have recently characterised the genomic organisation of a novel interphotoreceptor matrix proteoglycan, IMPG1, and have mapped the gene locus to chromosome 6q13-q15 by fluorescence in situ hybridisation. As the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) is thought to play a critical role in retinal adhesion and the maintenance of photoreceptor cells, it is conceivable that a defect in one of the IPM components may cause degenerative lesions in retinal structures and thus may be associated with human retinopathies. By genetic linkage analysis, several retinal dystrophies including one form of autosomal dominant Stargardt-like macular dystrophy (STGD3), progressive bifocal chorioretinal atrophy (PBCRA), and North Carolina macular dystrophy (MCDR1) have previously been localised to a region on proximal 6q that overlaps the IMPG1 locus. We have therefore assessed the entire coding region of IMPG1 by exon amplification and subsequent single stranded conformational analysis in patients from 6q linked multigeneration families diagnosed with PBCRA and MCDR1, as well as a single patient from an autosomal dominant STGD pedigree unlinked to either of the two known STGD2 and STGD3 loci on chromosomes 13q and 6q, respectively. No disease associated mutations were identified. In addition, using an intragenic polymorphism, IMPG1 was excluded by genetic recombination from both the PBCRA and the MCDR1 loci. However, as the autosomal dominant Stargardt-like macular dystrophies are genetically heterogeneous, other forms of this disorder, in particular STGD3 previously linked to 6q, may be caused by mutations in IMPG1.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gehrig
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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41
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Kelsell RE, Gregory-Evans K, Gregory-Evans CY, Holder GE, Jay MR, Weber BH, Moore AT, Bird AC, Hunt DM. Localization of a gene (CORD7) for a dominant cone-rod dystrophy to chromosome 6q. Am J Hum Genet 1998; 63:274-9. [PMID: 9634506 PMCID: PMC1377229 DOI: 10.1086/301905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
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42
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Warneke-Wittstock R, Marquardt A, Gehrig A, Sauer CG, Gessler M, Weber BH. Transcript map of a 900-kb genomic region in Xp22.1-p22.2: identification of 12 novel genes. Genomics 1998; 51:59-67. [PMID: 9693033 DOI: 10.1006/geno.1998.5382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Xp22.1-p22.2 interval is a focus of interest as a number of hereditary disease loci have been mapped to this region, including X-linked nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness (DFN6), X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (RS), and several X-linked mental retardation syndromes. In the course of cloning the RS gene we have assembled YAC and PAC contigs of the 900-kb candidate region delimited by DXS418 and DXS999. In this study, we now report the construction of a first transcript map of this chromosomal interval by combining exon trapping, EST mapping, and computational gene identification methods. Overall, this strategy has led to the assembly of at least 12 novel transcripts positioned within the DXS418-DXS999 region, one of these encoding a putative protein kinase motif with significant homology to the rat p58/GTA protein kinase domain and another a putative neuronal protein with strong homology to a Drosophila transcriptional repressor.
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Strom TM, Nyakatura G, Apfelstedt-Sylla E, Hellebrand H, Lorenz B, Weber BH, Wutz K, Gutwillinger N, Rüther K, Drescher B, Sauer C, Zrenner E, Meitinger T, Rosenthal A, Meindl A. An L-type calcium-channel gene mutated in incomplete X-linked congenital stationary night blindness. Nat Genet 1998; 19:260-3. [PMID: 9662399 DOI: 10.1038/940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The locus for the incomplete form of X-linked congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB2) maps to a 1.1-Mb region in Xp11.23 between markers DXS722 and DXS255. We identified a retina-specific calcium channel alpha1-subunit gene (CACNA1F) in this region, consisting of 48 exons encoding 1966 amino acids and showing high homology to L-type calcium channel alpha1-subunits. Mutation analysis in 13 families with CSNB2 revealed nine different mutations in 10 families, including three nonsense and one frameshift mutation. These data indicate that aberrations in a voltage-gated calcium channel, presumably causing a decrease in neurotransmitter release from photoreceptor presynaptic terminals, are a frequent cause of CSNB2.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Strom
- Abteilung Medizinische Genetik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
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Stöhr H, Marquardt A, Rivera A, Kellner U, Weber BH. Refined mapping of the gene encoding the p127 kDa UV-damaged DNA-binding protein (DDB1) within 11q12-q13.1 and its exclusion in Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy. Eur J Hum Genet 1998; 6:400-5. [PMID: 9781049 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy (Best's disease) is an autosomal dominant disorder of unknown causes and is typically characterised by an accumulation of lipofuscin-like material in the subretinal space of the macula. The disease gene has been localised to chromosome 11q12-13.1 within a 1.4 Mbp interval flanked by markers at D11S1765 and uteroglobin (UGB). Here we report the refined mapping of the gene encoding the p127 kDa subunit (DDB1) of a UV damage-specific DNA binding protein within the D11S1765-UGB region. Northern blot analysis demonstrates an abundant expression of the DDB1 transcript in the retina suggesting a functional role for DDB1 in this tissue. These considerations together with the chromosomal localisation have led us to evaluate the possible involvement of DDB1 in the pathogenesis of Best's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Stöhr
- Institut für Humangenetik, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Germany
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Abstract
T-box genes, in all metazoans studied from nematode to man, exist in small gene families. They encode transcription factors with a novel, large, and highly conserved DNA binding domain termed the T-domain. In all cases studied, T-box genes have important developmental roles. Two familial diseases, Holt-Oram syndrome and ulnar-mammary syndrome, were recently shown to be caused by mutations in the human T-box genes TBX5 and TBX3, respectively. T-box genes were first identified in Drosophila and mouse. Two of the three known Drosophila T-box genes show a close sequence homology to mammalian genes. Similarities in the phenotypes of fly and mammalian mutants can be taken as evidence of functional conservation. We report here the isolation of a fourth Drosophila T-box gene, optomotor-blind-related gene-1 (org-1), closely related to mouse and human TBX1. We localized TBX1 to chromosomal band 22q11, confirming a recent report, and discuss TBX1 as a candidate gene for DiGeorge and related syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Porsch
- Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Theodor-Boveri-Institut, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The recent identification of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP3) as the gene underlying SFD pathology has made it possible to address the question of genetic heterogeneity in this disorder. In addition, it now has become feasible to clarify whether SFD is directly involved in other maculopathies and, in particular, may represent a genetic model for age-related macular degeneration. PATIENTS Genetic analysis were performed in five unrelated and 18 related British SFD pedigrees as well as in 143 patients affected with age-related macular degeneration, 28 patients with adult vitelliform macular dystrophy, 21 patients with central areolar choroidal dystrophy and 25 individuals with other forms of macular dystrophies. RESULTS Molecular genetic analyses confirmed the autosomal dominant mode of inheritance in SFD. In all five unrelated SFD pedigrees individual TIMP3 mutations were identified introducing an additional cysteine residue into the C-terminal region of the mature protein. Affected individuals from 18 SFD families residing in Great Britain, Canada, Oregon and South Africa were found to carry a common ancestral Ser181Cys mutation. The clinical variability of this Ser181Cys mutation was reevaluated. A mutational screen in 217 patients with various maculopathies revealed no disease-causing mutations in the TIMP3 gene. CONCLUSION So far, TIMP3 mutations have exclusively been associated with SFD. Therefore, this disorder appears to be genetically homogeneous with complete penetrance but variable expressivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Felbor
- Institut für Humangenetik der Universität, Würzburg
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Roesch MT, Ewing CC, Gibson AE, Weber BH. The natural history of X-linked retinoschisis. Can J Ophthalmol 1998; 33:149-58. [PMID: 9606571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate long-term changes in visual acuity, clinical features and complications in X-linked retinoschisis, and to analyse recombinant chromosomes in affected males, carrier females and unaffected males to further refine the retinoschisis gene locus. DESIGN Longitudinal study. SETTING Ophthalmology department at a university-affiliated hospital in Saskatoon. PATIENTS A total of 92 male patients from 6 pedigrees affected with X-linked retinoschisis examined between 1962 and 1994. Of the 92, 73 were followed for a mean of 19.78 (standard deviation 8.74) years (range 1.5 to 31 years). Blood samples were taken from 91 affected males, 100 unaffected males and 86 carrier females for DNA analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES Significant visual loss was defined as a doubling or more in the visual angle. Clinical comparisons of fundus features were aided by stereoscopic fundus photographs. RESULTS The mean geometric visual acuity was 20/67 on initial examination and 20/78 on last assessment. Significant loss in visual acuity occurred in 18 (21.2%) of 85 eyes of 43 patients during childhood or adolescence and in 20 (17.1%) of 117 eyes of 59 patients in the postadolescent period. All 183 eyes had changes at the macula. Peripheral schisis was detected in 106 eyes (57.9%), with a mean of 1.48 (standard deviation 1.03) involved quadrants. Asymmetric disease was detected in 19 patients (20.6%). Vitreal hemorrhages occurred in 24 eyes (13.1%), retinal detachments in 10 (5.5%). Thirteen eyes (7.1%) of eight patients had a very poor visual outcome (light perception or no light perception). A new gene, XLRSI, was identified by means of positional cloning. XLRSI is mutated in affected people. CONCLUSIONS In uncomplicated cases of X-linked retinoschisis the visual prognosis is good. There is wide variation in clinical features among those affected and in the disease over time.
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Koehler MR, Sauer CG, Reismann N, Steinlein C, Weber BH, Will H, Schmid M. Localization of the human membrane-type 2 matrix metalloproteinase gene (MMP15) to 16q12.1 near DNA elements that are part of centromeric and non-centromeric heterochromatin of 11 human chromosomes. Chromosome Res 1998; 6:199-203. [PMID: 9609663 DOI: 10.1023/a:1009259617758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We have localized a second gene for membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases, MT2-MMP, to chromosome 16q12 by in situ hybridization. FISH experiments using a genomic PAC clone containing the MT2-MMP gene resulted in an unusual hybridization pattern detecting centromeric and non-centromeric heterochromatin regions or its flanking sequences in 11 human chromosomes in addition to the MT2-MMP locus on chromosome 16q12. The detailed analysis of this hybridization pattern using molecular cytogenetic methods together with the specific hybridization of the MT2-MMP cDNA allowed a refined mapping of the gene to 16q12.1, directly adjacent to the 16q heterochromatin. Our findings may give some insights into the evolution of the MMP gene family.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Koehler
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Germany
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Our knowledge about the pathogenesis of hereditary macular diseases is still very circumscript. For genetic determination, a knowledge of the coincidence of eye symptoms and other defined common symptoms is helpful. The purpose of this paper was to present two sisters of a family of consanguineous parents with the combination of hypotrichosis of the head and macular dystrophy in the context of a tricho-ocular malformation of an ectodermal dysplasia. A review of the recent literature is included. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two 13- and 17-year-old sisters presented at our hospital with reduced visual acuity because of symmetrical central changes of the retinal pigment epithelium and chorioatrophic scars according to macular dystrophy combined with hypotrichosis capitis. We performed fundus perimetry and histological examinations of the hair. RESULTS The 13-year-old patient exhibited central changes of the retinal pigment epithelium leading to a relative central scotoma for Goldmann 1/4 during fundus perimetry in both eyes (visual acuity 0.125 and 0.4). We found central chorioatrophic scars, followed by absolute central scotomas, with unstable fixation in the upper retinal hemisphere in her 17-year-old sister with reduced visual acuity (0.16 and 0.2). CONCLUSION There are few descriptions of the association of macular dystrophy and hypotrichosis. The combination of hypotrichosis and macular dystrophy could make genetical analysis easier. Mutational analysis of the TIMP-3 gene that has previously been associated with Sorsby fundus dystrophy did not reveal any disease-causing mutations in our patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Becker
- Universitäts-Augenklinik, Heidelberg
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Hofferbert S, Brohm M, Weber BH. Search for TSG101 germ-line mutations in BRCA1/BRCA2-negative breast/ovarian cancer families. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 1998; 102:86-7. [PMID: 9530348 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(97)00285-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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