Biomedical subjects

A Ivens

Publications and source records attributed to A Ivens.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Molecular approaches to dysmorphology.

The biochemical and physiological defects underlying human dysmorphic syndromes can now be approached using techniques of molecular biology. The genetic component of the causation of the dysmorphology can be studied in isolation from the environmental component by using large, rare families which exhibit the same phenotype as more complex multifactorial disorders, but inherit the mutation in a monogenic fashion. Such an analysis starts with the determination of linkage to a gene probe, followed by the use of newer techniques of molecular biology to enable cloning and sequencing of the mutated gene. Analysis of the gene product by amino acid sequence homology to other known proteins, and tissue specific expression, may place the defect within the cascade of events associated with development and differentiation. Once cloned, the gene can also be manipulated in transgenic laboratory animals and the effect of its mutation studied directly. The use of techniques of molecular biology to study the genetic aspects of dysmorphic syndromes will allow insight to be gained both into normal fetal development and into the causes of congenital malformations.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

The application of molecular genetics to detection of craniofacial abnormality.

Congenital malformations such as secondary cleft palate can be exclusively monogenic or polygenic, but most cases have a multifactorial origin involving both environmental and genetic factors, making genetic analysis difficult. The new techniques of molecular genetics have allowed the successful chromosomal localization of mutant genes in disorders that show a simple Mendelian segregation, whether autosomal dominant (e.g. Huntington's disease), autosomal recessive (cystic fibrosis) or X-linked (Duchenne muscular dystrophy). Recently, a large Icelandic family (over 280 members) with X-linked secondary cleft palate and ankyloglossia (tongue-tied) has been used as a model to localize the mutant gene associated with this craniofacial clefting. The gene has been sub-chromosomally localized to Xq13-q21.1, using anonymous probe DXYS1; a LOD score of 3.07 was obtained. We are preparing cosmid libraries from DNA from mouse cell lines containing only the relevant part of the human X chromosome, introduced by chromosome-mediated gene transfer. Cosmids that contain human X-chromosome sequences will be isolated and analysed for overlapping sequences and RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) and the regions further defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and the identification of coding sequences. This should give data on the location and structure of a gene involved in the craniofacial development of the human palatine shelves. This gene, and its protein product, will identify one component of the pathway that causes nonfusion of the palate. In the long term, the understanding of the expression of this sex-linked gene for secondary cleft palate and ankyloglossia will provide a model for the molecular identification of other genes regulating processes in craniofacial development whose expression is hidden in phenotypic, polygenic complexity.

Cleft Palate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Linkage of an X-chromosome cleft palate gene.

Many congenital malformations, such as cleft palate and neural tube defects, have a multifactorial origin involving both environmental and genetic factors. Conditions such as these may be exclusively monogenic, polygenic or environmental, but in most cases both genetic and environmental factors are involved. This study describes the sub-chromosomal localization of a single gene defect causing cleft palate and ankyloglossia (tongue-tied) in a large Icelandic family. This defect is a model for the analysis of other neural-crest malformations that show a more complex multifactorial inheritance pattern.

Cleft Palate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Localization of a mutant gene for cleft palate and ankyloglossia in an X-linked Icelandic family.

Common congenital malformations such as cleft lip and cleft palate are in most cases multifactorial in origin, involving both environmental and genetic components. Molecular biology techniques have enabled the successful chromosomal localization of many mutant genes from disorders that exhibit simple Mendelian segregation, whether autosomally dominant (e.g., Huntington's disease), autosomal recessive (e.g., cystic fibrosis), or X-linked (e.g., Duchenne muscular dystrophy). Studying the genetic aspect of multifactorial disorders is more complex. It requires a model family or families within which the common multifactorial phenotype is displayed as a single gene defect. Such a model has been recently exploited in the form of a large Icelandic family (over 280 members) exhibiting X-linked secondary cleft palate (CP) and ankyloglossia (A) (tongue-tied) as a single gene mutation. Using this family and the large bank of well-characterized DNA probes available for the human X chromosome, the gene for CP + A was localized by linkage analysis to Xq13-q21.1 (LOD score = 3.07, linked to anonymous probe DXYS1). Further fine mapping, using other X probes from this region (confirmed by analysis of DNA from a deletion cell-line) has placed the gene between markers DXYS12 and DXS17 (LOD score = 4.1) at Xq21.3-q22. The approximate distance between these two probes is 5 centimorgans (cM), equivalent to approximately 5 million base pairs. Now that the limits of genetic linkage have been fully tested and there are two markers flanking the defect locus, strategies are being pursued to clone the gene responsible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cleft Palate↗