Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Flint

Publications and source records attributed to J Flint.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Characterization of short tandem repeats from thirty-one human telomeres.

Completion of genetic and physical maps requires markers from the ends (telomeres) of every human chromosome. We have searched for short tandem repeats (microsatellites) in cosmid and P1 clones and generated 661 sequence-tagged sites (STS) from the terminal 300 kb of 31 human chromosome ends. PCR assays were successfully designed for 58 microsatellites and mapped both genetically and on radiation hybrids (RHs) to confirm their telomeric location. Sequence analysis revealed marked variation in sequence composition, consistent with the hypothesis that even very highly GC-rich chromosome bands (the T bands) are not homogenous. The STSs that we have generated will be a necessary resource for the construction of physical maps of these complex regions of the genome.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Molecular-cytogenetic detection of a deletion of 1p36.3.

We report a deletion of 1p36.3 in a child with microcephaly, mental retardation, broad forehead, deep set eyes, depressed nasal bridge, flat midface, relative prognathism, and abnormal ears. The phenotype is consistent with that described for partial monosomy for 1p36.3. Reverse chromosome painting and microsatellite and Southern blot analyses were used to map the extent of the deletion. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis using probes from every telomere indicates that the rearrangement is likely to be a chromosomal truncation or rearrangement involving subtelomeric repetitive DNA. The deletion was identified by screening a sample of children and adults with idiopathic mental retardation. In conjunction with previous work on this sample, we estimate that 7.4% of the group have subtelomeric rearrangements.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Viral transactivating proteins.

Many viruses utilize the cellular transcription apparatus to express their genomes, and they encode transcriptional regulatory proteins that modulate the process. Here we review the current understanding of three viral regulatory proteins. The adenovirus E1A protein acts within the nucleus to regulate transcription through its ability to bind to other proteins. The herpes simplex type 1 virus VP16 protein acts within the nucleus to control transcription by binding to DNA in conjunction with cellular proteins. The human T-cell leukemia virus Tax protein influences transcription through interactions with cellular proteins in the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗
PubMed1997

Surgically treated pneumothorax. Radiologic and pathologic findings.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the identifiable pulmonary abnormalities on preoperative chest radiographs and CT scans with the histologic findings in patients requiring surgical intervention for recurrent or persistent pneumothoraces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chest radiographs were reviewed retrospectively in 116 consecutive patients (aged 16 to 81 years) who had undergone thoracotomy for recurrent or persistent pneumothorax. CT scans were performed in 21 patients. Chest radiographs and CT scans were reviewed by two observers without knowledge of the histologic findings. All specimens were reviewed by a surgical pathologist. RESULTS: Seventy-nine (68%) patients had parenchymal abnormalities and five (4%) had pleural thickening evident on the radiograph. The most common radiographic abnormalities included apical bullae (n = 51), apical scarring (n = 17), and diffuse emphysema (n = 9). Twenty of 21 (95%) CT scans demonstrated either a parenchymal or a pleural abnormality. CT demonstrated emphysema in four patients with normal radiographs, as well as additional findings in six patients with abnormal radiographs. Histologically, 74 patients had focal irregular emphysema, 26 had distal acinar emphysema, six had mixed emphysema, four had isolated bullae or blebs, two had mesothelioma, and one each had the following: metastatic angiosarcoma, subpleural fibrosis, congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation, and tuberculous pleuritis with inactive interstitial fibrosis and honeycombing. CONCLUSION: Most patients with surgically treated pneumothorax have emphysema or an isolated bulla. Although these findings may not be apparent on the radiograph and seen on CT, this probably does not affect patient management. In most cases of pneumothorax related to other causes, findings consistent with the diagnosis can be seen on the radiograph.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Molecular characterization of a 130-kb terminal microdeletion at 22q in a child with mild mental retardation.

We have analyzed a recently described 22q13.3 microdeletion in a child with some overlapping features of the cytologically visible 22q13.3 deletion syndrome. Patient NT, who shows mild mental retardation and delay of expressive speech, was previously found to have a paternal microdeletion in the subtelomeric region of 22q. In order to characterize this abnormality further, we have constructed a cosmid/P1 contig covering the terminal 150 kb of 22q, which encompasses the 130-kb microdeletion. The microdeletion breakpoint is within the VNTR locus D22S163. The cloning of the breakpoint sequence revealed that the broken chromosome end was healed by the addition of telomeric repeats, indicating that the microdeletion is terminal. This is the first cloned terminal deletion breakpoint on a human chromosome other than 16p. The cosmid/P1 contig was mapped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis to within 120 kb of the arylsulfatase A gene, which places the contig in relation to genetic and physical maps of the chromosome. The acrosin gene maps within the microdeletion, approximately 70 kb from the telomere. With the distal end of chromosome 22q cloned, it is now possible to isolate genes that may be involved in the overlapping phenotype of this microdeletion and 22q13.3 deletion syndrome.

Cell Line, Transformed↗
PubMed1996

Do animal models have a place in the genetic analysis of quantitative human behavioural traits?

It seems that the genetic basis of common psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and manic-depressive psychosis is amenable to the genetic mapping strategies that have been successful in other complex disorders such as diabetes. The next challenge is the genetic dissection of quantitative behavioural traits such as mood, personality and intelligence. Quantitative traits pose new problems for gene cloning experiments. We argue that one way forward is by using animal models. One of the features of quantitative traits is that the DNA sequence variants which are responsible for them are unlikely to be immediately recognizable. In contrast to many qualitative traits where a discrete phenotypic difference is often the consequence of an inactivating mutation, the allelic variation responsible for quantitative traits probably has a more subtle basis. This distinction means that strategies to clone the genetic basis of quantitative behavioural traits will have to rely on functional assays of alleles thought to be important in determining the phenotype. We suggest that an efficient strategy for detecting sequences that give rise to quantitative behavioural traits can be devised in the mouse. The importance and utility of the mouse for quantitative trait analysis make it worthwhile to investigate mouse models of human behaviour; these advantages outweigh the difficulties that arise in attempts to validate the animal models. As an example we review the evidence that validates rodent emotionality as an animal model for susceptibility to human anxiety. We show that there is good evidence that rodent emotionality is a central nervous system state with a genetic basis, and that there are neuropharmacological and neuroanatomical parallels with human anxiety. Furthermore, our own work has shown that the genetic basis of the trait is relatively simple, and that the task of characterizing it at a molecular level is feasible. We expect that future experiments will show us how genetic variation gives rise to quantitative behavioural traits.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Chromosomal stabilisation by a subtelomeric rearrangement involving two closely related Alu elements.

We have characterised a subtelomeric rearrangement involving the short arm of chromosome 16 that gives rise to alpha-thalassaemia by deleting the major, remote regulatory element controlling alpha-globin expression. The chromosomal breakpoint lies in an Alu family repeat located only approximately 105 kb from the 16p subtelomeric region. The broken chromosome has been stabilised with a newly positioned telomere acquired by recombination between this 16p Alu element and a closely related subtelomeric Alu element of the Sx subfamily. It seems most likely that this abnormal chromosome has been rescued by the mechanism of telomere capture which may reflect a more general process by which subtelomeric sequences are normally dispersed between chromosomal ends.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

The genetics of mental retardation.

We review the advances that have been achieved using molecular genetic techniques to characterise the genetic basis of mental retardation in recognised syndromes and in discovering new genetic conditions that give rise to mental retardation. However, even with the cloning of a number of mutant genes, the pathogenesis of the condition is not understood. The genetics of mental retardation are turning out to be remarkably complex and are likely to remain a challenge for clinicians and scientists for years to come.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed1996

Annotation: behavioural phenotypes: a window onto the biology of behaviour.

Characteristic behavioural patterns (including cognitive processes and social interactions) have been reported in a number of syndromes arising from genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, suggesting that molecular analysis of the underlying defect could reveal the biological basis of the behavioural phenotype. Because of the rarity of many of the syndromes, and the complexity of their genetic basis, there are great difficulties in establishing the validity of the association between syndrome and behavioural phenotype. Nevertheless, evidence from animal studies with relevance to human behavioural phenotypes shows that the pathway from genotype to phenotype may be accessible by careful delineation of behavioural phenotypes.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The IL-9 receptor gene (IL9R): genomic structure, chromosomal localization in the pseudoautosomal region of the long arm of the sex chromosomes, and identification of IL9R pseudogenes at 9qter, 10pter, 16pter, and 18pter.

Cosmids containing the human IL-9 receptor (R) gene (IL9R) have been isolated from a genomic library using the IL9R cDNA as a probe. We have shown that the human IL9R cDNA as a probe. We have shown that hte human IL9R gene is composed of 11 exons and 10 introns, stretching over approximately 17 kb, and is located within the pseudoautosomal region of the Xq and Yq chromosome, in the vicinity of the telomere. Analysis f the 5' flanking region revealed multiple transcription initiation sites as well as potential binding motifs for AP1, AP2, AP3, Sp1, and NF-kB, although this region lacks a TATA box. Using the human IL9R cosmid as a probe to perform fluorescence in situ hybridization, additional signals were identified in the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes 9q, 10p, 16p, and 18p. IL9R homologs located on chromosomes 16 and 10 were completely sequenced. Although they are similar to the IL9R gene (approximately 90% identity), none of these copies encodes a functional receptor: none of them contains sequences homologous to the 5' flanking region or exon 1 of the IL9R gene, and the remaining ORFs have been inactivated by various point mutations and deletions. Taken together, our results indicate that the IL9R gene is located at Xq28 and Yq12, in the long arm pseudoautosomal region, and that four IL9R pseudogenes are located on 9q34, 10p15, 16p13.3, and 18p11.3, probably dispersed as the result of translocations during evolution.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1995

A simple genetic basis for a complex psychological trait in laboratory mice.

Psychological traits are commonly inferred from covariation in sets of behavioral measures that otherwise appear to have little in common. Emotionality in mice is such a trait, defined here by covariation in activity and defecation in a novel environment and emergence into the open arms of an elevated plus maze. Behavioral and quantitative trait analyses were conducted on four measures obtained from 879 mice from an F2 intercross. Three loci, on murine chromosomes 1, 12, and 15, were mapped that influence emotionality. This trait, inferred from studies of strain, sex, and individual differences in rodents, may be related to human susceptibility to anxiety or neuroticism.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The detection of subtelomeric chromosomal rearrangements in idiopathic mental retardation.

A major challenge for human genetics is to identify new causes of mental retardation, which, although present in about 3% of individuals, is unexplained in more than half of all cases. We have developed a strategy to screen for the abnormal inheritance of subtelomeric DNA polymorphisms in individuals with mental retardation and have detected three abnormalities in 99 patients with normal routine karyotypes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and reverse chromosome painting showed that one case arose from an interstitial or terminal deletion and two from the de novo inheritance of derivative translocation chromosomes. At least 6% of unexplained mental retardation is accounted for by these relatively small chromosomal abnormalities, which will be an important resource in the characterization of the genetic basis of neurodevelopment.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Brachydactyly and mental retardation: an Albright hereditary osteodystrophy-like syndrome localized to 2q37.

We report five patients with a combination of brachymetaphalangia and mental retardation, similar to that observed in Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO). Four patients had cytogenetically visible de novo deletions of chromosome 2q37. The fifth patient was cytogenetically normal and had normal bioactivity of the alpha subunit of Gs (Gs alpha), the protein that is defective in AHO. In this patient, we have used a combination of highly polymorphic molecular markers and FISH to demonstrate a microdeletion at 2q37. The common region of deletion overlap involves the most telomeric 2q marker, D2S125, and extends proximally for a maximum distance of 17.6 cM. We suggest this represents a consistent phenotype associated with some deletions at 2q37 and that genes important for skeletal and neurodevelopment lie within this region. Screening for deletions at this locus should be considered in individuals with brachymetaphalangia and mental retardation. Furthermore, 2q37 represents a candidate region for type E brachydactyly.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1994

Healing of broken human chromosomes by the addition of telomeric repeats.

We have characterized and compared a series of naturally occurring chromosomal truncations involving the terminal region of the short arm of human chromosome 16 (16p13.3). All six broken chromosomes appear to have been stabilized by the direct addition of telomeric repeats (TTAGGG)n to nontelomeric DNA. In five of the six chromosomes, sequence analysis shows that the three of four nucleotides preceding the point of telomere addition are complementary to and in phase with the putative RNA template of human telomerase. Otherwise we have found no common structural features around the breakpoint regions. These findings, together with previously reported in vitro data, suggest that chromosome-healing events in man can be mediated by telomerase and that a small region of complementarity to the RNA template of telomerase at the end of a broken chromosome may be sufficient to prime healing in vivo.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Why are some genetic diseases common? Distinguishing selection from other processes by molecular analysis of globin gene variants.

Various processes (selection, mutation, migration and genetic drift) are known to determine the frequency of genetic disease in human populations, but so far it has proved almost impossible to decide to what extent each is responsible for the presence of a particular genetic disease. The techniques of gene and haplotype analysis offer new hope in addressing this issue, and we review relevant studies of three haemoglobinopathies: sickle cell anaemia, and alpha and beta thalassaemia. We show how for each disease it is possible to recognize a pattern of regionally specific mutations, found in association with one or a few haplotypes, that is best explained as the result of selection; other patterns are due to population migration and genetic drift. However, we caution that such conclusions can be drawn in special circumstances only. In the case of the haemoglobinopathies it is possible because a selective agent (malaria) was already suspected, and the investigations could be carried out in relatively genetically homogenous populations whose migratory histories are known. Moreover, some data reviewed here suggest that gene conversion and the haplotype composition of a population may affect the frequency of a mutation, making interpretation of gene frequencies difficult on the basis of standard population genetics theory. Hence attempts to use the same approaches with other genetic diseases are likely to be frustrated by a lack of suitably untrammelled populations and by difficulties accounting for poorly understood genetic processes. We conclude that although this combination of molecular and population genetics is successful when applied to the study of haemoglobinopathies, it may not be so easy to apply it to the study of other genetic diseases.

Africa, Northern↗