Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL, Batten disease) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by progressive mental retardation, cortical atrophy, seizures, and retinal degeneration. Several subtypes have been delineated on the basis of age-at-onset and histological characteristics; the most common is the juvenile (JNCL) form. Recently, the gene for JNCL was shown to reside on chromosome 16 through linkage studies to the haptoglobin locus and anonymous DNA markers using numerous European families. We have now examined 8 families from North America with JNCL for linkage to markers in 16q21-23. Results in 3 families tend to support linkage to chromosome 16;3 families remained uninformative, and 2 families produced negative lod scores in this region. A test of homogeneity was suggestive, but could not significantly reject the null hypothesis of homogeneity. We are continuing to collect families, particularly those with multiple living affecteds, and are identifying other probes in this region. Given close localization on chromosome 16 for JNCL, molecular strategies, including candidate gene strategies, are being explored.

Child↗

PubMed1992

Psychiatric, genetic, and positron emission tomographic evaluation of persons at risk for Huntington's disease.

We examined chorea-free subjects at risk for Huntington's disease (n = 52) for lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, present mood, genetic marker status, and caudate glucose metabolic rates with positron emission tomography. Based on previous work, a caudate-ipsilateral hemisphere ratio less than 1.15 was defined as abnormal and predictive of Huntington's disease. None of three methods used to segregate subjects into groups more and less likely to develop Huntington's disease gave significant group rate differences for any formal psychiatric diagnoses. On present mood testing, however, subjective "anger/hostility" was significantly higher in those likely, compared with those less likely, to develop Huntington's disease, as determined by all three methods.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

A 15-bp deletion in exon 5 of the ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) locus associated with gyrate atrophy.

Gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GA) is an autosomal recessive disorder in which a deficiency of the mitochondrial matrix enzyme ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) leads to progressive blindness. Previously, we and others have reported a number of missense mutations and splice defects in the OAT gene associated with GA. In the present case, through sequencing of the PCR amplified cDNA products, we have detected a novel 15-bp deletion within exon 5 of the OAT gene which retains the original reading frame. The deleted PCR product is the only one produced from the patient's mRNA, while mRNA from the patient's mother yields both deleted and normal length PCR products. The alternate, apparently nonexpressing OAT allele in this patient was inherited from the father, who displays only the normal length PCR product. The codon at the deletion joint remains unaltered, predicting the loss of the pentapeptide Tyr-Thr-Val-Lys-Gly without any other amino acid change. The breakpoints are adjacent to or within two copies of a 4-bp direct repeat, which may have implications for the mechanism of deletion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

The alpha-subunit of the skeletal muscle sodium channel is encoded proximal to Tk-1 on mouse chromosome 11.

Recent evidence suggests that the human neuromuscular disorders, hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and paramyotonia congenita, are both caused by genetic defects in the alpha-subunit of the adult skeletal muscle sodium channel, which maps near the growth hormone cluster (GH) on Chromosome (Chr) 17q. In view of the extensive homology between this human chromosome and mouse Chr 11, we typed an interspecies backcross to determine whether the murine homolog (Scn4a) of this sodium channel gene mapped within the conserved chromosomal segment. The cytosolic thymidine kinase gene, Tk-1, was also positioned on the genetic map of Chr 11. Both Scn4a and Tk-1 showed clear linkage to mouse Chr 11 loci previously typed in this backcross, yielding the map order: TrJ-(Re, Hox-2, Krt-1)-Scn4a-Tk-1. No mouse mutant that could be considered a model of either hyperkalemic periodic paralysis or paramyotonia congenita has been mapped to the appropriate region of mouse Chr 11. These data incorporate an additional locus into the already considerable degree of homology observed for these human and mouse chromosomes. These data are also consistent with the view that the conserved segment region may extend to the telomere on mouse Chr 11 and on human 17q.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Mapping of ornithine aminotransferase gene sequences to mouse chromosomes 7, X, and 3.

Ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), a mitochondrial matrix enzyme, is deficient in patients with gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina. In human, the OAT structural gene maps to Chromosome (Chr) 10q26 and several OAT-related sequences, some of which are known to be processed pseudogenes, which map to Xp11.3-11.21. Here, we report chromosomal localization in the mouse of the OAT gene and related sequences. Genomic DNA blot analysis of a well-characterized panel of Chinese hamster x mouse somatic cell hybrids using a human OAT probe revealed two murine loci, one on mouse Chr 7 and the other on Chr X. In addition, segregation of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected by the OAT probe in recombinant inbred (RI) strains detected a third locus on Chr 3 and positioned the X locus near Cf-8 and Rsvp. Progeny of an intersubspecific backcross were used to map the Chr 7 locus between Tyr and Int-2, near Cyp2e-1.

Alleles↗

PubMed1992

Linkage, but not gene order, of homologous loci, including alpha-L-iduronidase (Idua), is conserved in the Huntington disease region of the mouse and human genomes.

alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA), which when deficient causes mucopolysaccharidosis type I, is located near the Huntington disease locus (HD) on human Chromosome (Chr) 4p16.3, approximately 10(6) base pairs (bp) from the telomere. As part of our continuing efforts to define a detailed comparative map for this chromosomal segment in mice and humans, we have used an interspecific backcross between C57BL/6J and an inbred strain derived from Mus spretus to map Idua, the mouse homolog of IDUA. We also mapped the mouse homolog of D4S115, an anonymous locus approximately 250 kb proximal to IDUA. As expected, both Idua and D4S115h are located on the proximal portion of mouse Chr 5 near homologs for other loci on human Chr 4p. Comparison of gene order in mice and humans demonstrates, however, that a chromosomal rearrangement within this conserved synteny has occurred since divergence of lineages leading to mice and humans.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Radiation hybrid map spanning the Huntington disease gene region of chromosome 4.

Radiation hybrid (RH) mapping was used to construct a map of 11 markers in the distal 4 Mb of the short arm of chromosome 4, the region containing the Huntington disease gene. Two different methods for deriving the order of the markers were compared and both arrived at the same order as being the most likely. This order is also consistent with both the physical map constructed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and the meiotic linkage map. Comparing the RH map to the map determined by PFGE provided the means to equate RH map units (centirays) with actual physical distance in kilobases of DNA. In addition, a simple procedure for reducing the complexity of human DNA in radiation hybrids is described. One cell line isolated using this procedure contains, as its only human DNA, approximately 2 Mb surrounding the Huntington disease gene.

Chromosome Mapping↗

PubMed1992

Sequence-tagged sites (STSs) spanning 4p16.3 and the Huntington disease candidate region.

The generation of sequence-tagged sites (STSs) has been proposed as a unifying approach to correlating the disparate results generated by genetic and various physical techniques being used to map the human genome. We have developed an STS map to complement the existing physical and genetic maps of 4p16.3, the region containing the Huntington disease gene. A total of 18 STSs span over 4 Mb of 4p16.3, with an average spacing of about 250 kb. Eleven of the STSs are located within the primary candidate HD region of 2.5 Mb between D4S126 and D4S168. The availability of STSs makes the corresponding loci accessibility to the general community without the need for distribution of cloned DNA. These STSs should also provide the means to isolate yeast artificial chromosome clones spanning the HD candidate region.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Construction of a GT polymorphism map of human 9q.

To construct a framework map of human chromosome 9 consisting of highly informative markers, we identified 36 cosmid clones from chromosome 9 that contained long GT repeat sequences. The cosmids were found to cluster on the long arm of the chromosome, particularly in the q32-34 region. Thirteen highly informative polymorphisms from 9q were identified, with median observed heterozygosity 0.75 and median calculated heterozygosity based upon allele frequencies of 0.75. These new GT repeat polymorphisms (D9S56, D9S58-67), as well as anchor GT polymorphisms for D9S15 (MCT112, 9q13), and ABL and ASS (both 9q34.1) were utilized to construct a linkage map of human 9q by the typing of the Venezuelan Reference Pedigree. Care was taken to avoid errors, including analysis of the data with CHROMLOOK and verification of all double crossover events detected within a 30 cM interval by repetition of the marker analysis. The map was generated using the MAPMAKER program. All positions in the resulting map are favored by odds of greater than 10(4):1. The map has a sex-averaged length of 90 cM (Kosambi function) with a single maximum intermarker recombination fraction of 26%. All other intermarker recombination fractions are less than 15%. As D9S15 is known to be closely linked to markers on proximal 9p, and ASS/ABL are in band 34.1, this set of GT polymorphisms spans the length of 9q and provides a useful panel for linkage analysis of disease genes to this region. The marker order was confirmed by in situ hybridization of the cosmid clones to metaphase spreads of normal human chromosomes, which indicated an excess of recombination in the telomeric region in comparison to centromeric 9q, in agreement with previous chiasmata distribution observations. Two spontaneous new mutations for these GT repeat markers were identified, giving an overall observed spontaneous mutation rate of 0.00045 per locus per gamete. Direct observation of new mutations has not been previously reported for dinucleotide polymorphisms, but the observed rate is consistent with frequencies observed for other VNTR polymorphisms.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1992

An 86-bp VNTR within IDUA is the basis of the D4S111 polymorphic locus.

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Base Sequence↗

PubMed1992

A genetic linkage map of human chromosome 9q.

A genetic linkage map of human chromosome 9q, spanning a sex-equal distance of 125 cM, has been developed by genotyping 26 loci in the Venezuelan Reference Pedigree. The loci include 12 anonymous microsatellite markers reported by Kwiatkowski et al. (1992), several classical systems previously assigned to chromosome 9q, and polymorphisms for the genes tenacin (HXB), gelsolin (GSN), adenylate kinase 1 (AK1), arginosuccinate synthetase (ASS), ABL oncogene (ABL1), ABO blood group (ABO), and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH). Only a marginally significant sex difference is found along the entire length of the map and results from one interval, between D9S58 and D9S59, that displays an excess of female recombination. A comparison of the genetic map to the existing physical data suggests that there is increased recombination in the 9q34 region with a recombination event occurring every 125-400 kb. This map should be useful in further characterizing the relationship between physical distance and genetic distance, as well as for genetic linkage studies of diseases that map to chromosome 9q, including multiple self-healing squamous epithelioma (MSSE), Gorlin syndrome (NBCCS), xeroderma pigmentosum (XPA), nail-patella syndrome (NPS1), torsion dystonia (DYT1), and tuberous sclerosis (TSC1).

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1992

The telomeric 60 kb of chromosome arm 4p is homologous to telomeric regions on 13p, 15p, 21p, and 22p.

A telomere YAC clone containing the most distal 115 kb of chromosome arm 4p has been previously isolated. This clone is of particular interest as it spans a potential candidate region for the Huntington disease gene. The YAC was subcloned into a phage vector, and a high-resolution restriction map extending to within 13 kb of the telomere was constructed. In situ hybridization of the YAC to human metaphase spreads gives a peak of hybridization on 4pter but also an increase in the number of signals close to several other telomeres. Where possible, these results were investigated further by the hybridization of probes from the YAC to somatic cell hybrids containing single human chromosomes. This analysis indicates that the most telomeric 60 kb of chromosome arm 4p is homologous to telomeric regions on 13p, 15p, 21p, and 22p. The extent of this homology makes it less likely that the mutation for Huntington's disease is located within the telomere YAC clone.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Sequence-tagged sites (STSs) for a set of mapped markers on chromosome 21.

Sequence tagged sites (STSs) have been proposed as a "common language" for comparing physical and genetic maps of the human genome produced by a variety of techniques. We have produced 44 STSs from 38 mapped loci on human chromosome 21. The STSs represent most of the loci designated as genetic reference or ordered physical framework markers, along with a number of others chosen to span all regions of 21q. Of the STSs, 12 are from gene segments, including 4 from exons of the APP gene encoding the amyloid beta protein precursor, and 32 mark anonymous DNA loci. These STSs make each of the corresponding loci readily accessible to the research community without the need for exchange of clones. These sites also represent multiple start points for the isolation of YAC clones that should permit overlapping the entire chromosome 21 long arm as cloned DNA.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Novel mutations in families with unusual and variable disorders of the skeletal muscle sodium channel.

Mutations in the skeletal muscle sodium channel gene (SCN4A) have been described in paramyotonia congenita (PMC) and hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis (HPP). We have found two mutations in SCN4A which affect regions of the sodium channel not previously associated with a disease phenotype. Furthermore, affected family members display an unusual mixture of clinical features reminiscent of PMC, HPP and of a third disorder, myotonia congenita (MC). The highly variable individual expression of these symptoms, including in some cases apparent non-penetrance, implies the existence of modifying factors. Mutations in SCN4A can produce a broad range of phenotypes in muscle diseases characterized by episodic abnormalities of membrane excitability.

Adult↗