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Johannes Häberle

Publications and source records attributed to Johannes Häberle.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Physiological concept for a blood based CFTR test.

We tested the hypothesis that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) could be involved in the volume regulation of human red blood cells (RBC). Experiments were based on two gadolinium (Gd(3+)) sensitive mechanisms, i.e. inhibition of ATP release (thetaATP(i)) and membrane destabilization. RBC of either cystic fibrosis (CF) patients or healthy donors (non-CF) were exposed to KCl buffer containing Gd(3+). A significantly larger quantity of non-CF RBC (2.55 %) hemolyzed as compared to CF RBC (0.89 %). It was found that both of the Gd(3+) mechanisms simultaneously are needed to achieve hemolysis, since either overriding thetaATP(i) by exogenous ATP addition prevented Gd(3+) induced hemolysis, or mimicking thetaATP(i) by apyrase in absence of Gd(3+) could not trigger hemolysis. Additionally, ion driven volume uptake was found to be a prerequisite for Gd3+ induced hemolysis as chloride and potassium channel blockers reduced the Gd(3+) response. The results show that in non-CF RBC Gd(3+) exerts its dual effect leading to hemolysis. On the contrary, in CF RBC, lacking CFTR dependent ATP release, the sole Gd(3+) effect of membrane destabilization is not sufficient to induce hemolysis similar to non-CF. This concept could form the basis of a novel method suitable for testing CFTR function in a blood sample.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2006

Prenatal diagnosis of citrullinemia and argininosuccinic aciduria: evidence for a transmission ratio distortion in citrullinemia.

BACKGROUND: In the course of 25 years, we have experienced a high rate of affected fetuses in the prenatal diagnosis of citrullinemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-one pregnancies at 1 in 4 risk were tested; 36 were diagnosed as affected (39.5%; P = 0.0015). The high rate of positive diagnoses was found both after chorionic villus sampling (24/68 = 35.3%) and amniocentesis (12/23 = 52.2%) despite the completely different and independent techniques used. Using exactly the same (indirect) enzyme assay for argininosuccinic aciduria on chorionic villi and a similar method on amniotic fluid, the expected rate of affected fetuses was found: 13/53 = 24.5%. Technical and genetic causes for the unexpected results were excluded by confirmatory studies performed on independent fetal material, which was available for 27 of the 36 fetuses affected with citrullinemia. Biochemical confirmation was obtained in the 27 cases, whereas in 18 fetuses homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for disease-causing mutations were retrospectively demonstrated in the stored fetal cells. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the occurrence of preferential transmission of the mutant allele. An explanation for this phenomenon may be found in a protective role of argininosuccinic acid synthetase deficiency in mutant sperm cells against the possibly detrimental or apoptotic effect of nitric oxide produced normally from arginine by nitric oxide synthase.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed2005

Congenital glutamine deficiency with glutamine synthetase mutations.

Glutamine synthetase plays a major role in ammonia detoxification, interorgan nitrogen flux, acid-base homeostasis, and cell signaling. We report on two unrelated newborns who had congenital human glutamine synthetase deficiency with severe brain malformations resulting in multiorgan failure and neonatal death. Glutamine was largely absent from their serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. Each infant had a homozygous mutation in the glutamine synthetase gene (R324C and R341C). Studies that used immortalized lymphocytes expressing R324C glutamine synthetase (R324C-GS) and COS7 cells expressing R341C-GS suggest that these mutations are associated with reduced glutamine synthetase activity.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed2005

Identification of novel mutations of the human N-acetylglutamate synthase gene and their functional investigation by expression studies.

The mitochondrial enzyme N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) produces N-acetylglutamate serving as an allosteric activator of carbamylphosphate synthetase 1, the first enzyme of the urea cycle. Autosomal recessively inherited NAGS deficiency (NAGSD) leads to severe neonatal or late-onset hyperammonemia. To date few patients have been described and the gene involved was described only recently. In this study, another three families affected by NAGSD were analyzed for NAGS gene mutations resulting in the identification of three novel missense mutations (C200R [c.598T > C], S410P [c.1228T > C], A518T [c.1552G > A]). In order to investigate the effects of these three and two additional previously published missense mutations on enzyme activity, the mutated proteins were overexpressed in a bacterial expression system using the NAGS deficient E. coli strain NK5992. All mutated proteins showed a severe decrease in enzyme activity providing evidence for the disease-causing nature of the mutations. In addition, we expressed the full-length NAGS wild type protein including the mitochondrial leading sequence, the mature protein as well as a highly conserved core protein. NAGS activity was detected in all three recombinant proteins but varied regarding activity levels and response to stimulation by l-arginine. In conclusion, overexpression of wild type and mutated NAGS proteins in E. coli provides a suitable tool for functional analysis of NAGS deficiency.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed2005

Neonatal hyperammonemia: the N-carbamoyl-L-glutamic acid test.

In a prospective study, patients with a suspected urea cycle defect underwent oral N-carbamoyl-L-glutamic acid loading testing. In patients with subsequently confirmed N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency, hyperammonemia normalized within 8 hours. This test may be useful in the early diagnosis of patients with suspected urea cycle disorders.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed2004

Genetic approach to prenatal diagnosis in urea cycle defects.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of prenatal diagnosis by molecular genetics in all urea cycle defects in order to improve and standardize the current approaches. METHODS: Deceased index patients who had suffered from a urea cycle disorder were investigated for mutations of the biochemically most likely affected gene. If no material of index patients was available, parental DNA was studied for obligate carrier status. Fetal cells of 15 pregnancies, either chorionic villi or amniotic fluid cells, were used for direct sequence analysis of the respective mutations. Thirteen families were investigated, of which two were affected by N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency, four by carbamoylphosphate synthetase 1 deficiency, one by ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, three by argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency, two by argininosuccinate lyase deficiency, and one by arginase deficiency. RESULTS: Molecular genetics allowed the determination of the fetal status in all cases. Besides 14 known mutations, we detected the novel mutation c.544delC of the N-acetylglutamate synthase gene, the novel missense mutation c.721G>A (E241K) of the argininosuccinate lyase gene, and the novel double mutated allele comprising the known mutation c.703G>A (G235R) and the novel insertion c.712ins[GGACC](2) (254X) of the arginase 1 gene. CONCLUSION: Direct genetic analysis of chorionic villi or amniotic fluid cells is feasible, fast, and specific, and can be regarded as the method of choice for prenatal diagnosis in urea cycle disorders.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed2003

Neonatal screening for citrullinaemia.

UNLABELLED: In a period of 40 months (1st March 1999 to 30th June 2002) 610,000 blood samples were analysed in one screening centre for citrulline as a pilot study for neonatal screening using tandem mass spectrometry. Persistent hypercitrullinaemia (Cit >1.5 mg/dl or 85.5 micro mol/l, not corrected for recovery) was identified in 15 newborns. Four children were diagnosed with classical neonatal onset citrullinaemia and eight with persisting asymptomatic hypercitrullinaemia. In two asymptomatic newborns and in one symptomatic preterm patient, argininosuccinate lyase deficiency was identified as the cause of moderately elevated levels of citrulline (cases not described in this paper). Citrulline concentrations were only temporarily mildly elevated in two newborns and in these the results of the original neonatal screening were therefore regarded as false-positive; we did not find any other false-positives. The screening result allowed the introduction of immediate specific treatment in two cases of citrullinaemia and may have prevented metabolic decompensation in those with presumed mild citrullinaemia. In one child who developed severe hyperammonaemia on the 2nd day of life, sequelae could not be avoided. CONCLUSION: neonatal screening for citrullinaemia is more complex than expected and, with the actual logistics, results may be obtained too late in severe forms.

Argininosuccinic Aciduria↗
PubMed2003

Mutation analysis in patients with N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency.

N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) is the key enzyme for the regulation of the hepatic urea cycle and is also highly expressed in kidney and gut. The reaction product, N-acetylglutamate, is an allosteric activator of carbamylphosphate synthetase 1 in the liver, catalyzing the initial step of ammonia detoxification. NAGS deficiency is a rare inborn error of metabolism inherited as an autosomal recessive trait leading to hyperammonemia. Using homology search based on genetic information of ascomycetes, we identified the human gene for NAGS on chromosome 17q21.31. There is a distinct pattern of organospecific expression of transcripts in liver, small intestine, and kidney similar to the other mitochondrially located enzymes of the urea cycle. The encoded 534 amino acid polypeptide has a consensus sequence for a 49 amino acid mitochondrial leader peptide. We identified private mutations of the NAGS gene in patients with severe early onset of clinical symptoms (IVS3-2A>T, c.1306_1307insT, c.971G>A/W324X, c.1289T>C/L430P, c.1299G>C/E433S, c.1450T>C/W484R), as well as in a case with late onset (c.835G>A/A279P). Four out of seven mutations were detected on exon 6. This is the first report of mutation analysis in a series of families affected with deficiency of NAGS. Molecular analysis of patients and reliable antenatal diagnostics for affected families are now feasible.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed2003

Mild citrullinemia in Caucasians is an allelic variant of argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency (citrullinemia type 1).

Citrullinemia is caused by either deficiency of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS, citrullinemia type 1) or a defect of the SLC25A13 gene encoding a mitochondrial aspartate-glutamate transporter (citrullinemia type II). Citrullinemia type 1-referred to as classical citrullinemia-is characterized by largely elevated concentrations of citrulline, manifesting with acute hyperammonemic crises predominantly early in life and occurs panethnically. Citrullinemia type II is a rare multisystem-disorder nearly exclusively observed in the Japanese population and characterized by less pronounced elevations of plasma citrulline and mainly a late onset of clinical symptoms. Here, we investigated 21 citrullinemic patients (mean peak plasma citrulline 1023 micromol/l, range 152-3360), all of whom remained asymptomatic during the observation period (6-156 months). These patients were referred to as mild citrullinemia due to less striking peak citrulline concentrations or absent clinical symptoms. Extended newborn screening using tandem mass spectrometry detected 15/21 patients, 4/21 patients were identified by investigation of siblings, 2/21 during metabolic work-up of unspecific neurological symptoms. We characterized the genetic defects in all affected families and found all patients affected by citrullinemia type 1 due to mutations of the ASS gene. We identified 15 different mutations, 14/15 missense and 1/15 nonsense, 6/15 were novel mutations. This is the first genetic study in a series of patients with hitherto asymptomatic citrullinemia. According to the mutations found in this study, mild citrullinemia seems to be primarily related to the human ASS gene, at least in patients of caucasian origin.

Alleles↗
PubMed2002

von Willebrand factor cleaving protease and ADAMTS13 mutations in childhood TTP.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is caused by the persistence of the highly reactive high-molecular-weight multimers of von Willebrand factor (VWF) due to deficiency of the specific VWF-cleaving protease (VWF-CP) ADAMTS13, resulting in microangiopathic disease. The acquired form is caused by autoantibodies against VWF-CP, whereas homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations of ADAMTS13 are responsible for recessively inherited TTP. We investigated 83 children with hemolytic or thrombocytopenic episodes with or without additional neurologic symptoms or renal failure. The presumed diagnosis was chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP; n = 50), TTP (n = 8), hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS; n = 24), and Evans syndrome (n = 1). A severe deficiency of VWF-CP (< or = 5%) was found in all investigated patients with TTP and in none of those with HUS. Additionally, 2 of 50 patients with a prior diagnosis of ITP were deficient for VWF-CP. Antibodies against VWF-CP were found in 4 children. Mutation analysis of the ADAMTS13 gene in the patients deficient in VWF-CP by direct sequencing of all 29 exons identified 8 different mutations, suggesting the hereditary form of TTP in 1 patient with ITP, in the patient with Evans syndrome, and in 5 of the 8 patients with TTP. The phenotype of TTP in childhood can be rather variable. Besides the classical clinical picture, oligosymptomatic forms may occur that can delay the identification of patients at risk.

ADAM Proteins↗
PubMed2002

Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency: mutation analysis in 27 patients and a completed structure of the human ASL gene.

Argininosuccinic aciduria is an urea cycle disorder caused by argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency and is inherited as an autosomal-recessive trait. To date, mutation analysis has been limited because of incomplete sequence information about the human ASL gene. As a consequence, only 12 different mutations in 12 patients have been reported, so far. This study aimed at the completion of the structure and the sequence of the human ASL gene, the development of a genomic DNA-based system for mutation analysis and, finally, the characterisation of the molecular genetic background of ASL deficiency in 27 unrelated patients. This report provides transcript variants, the complete sequence of the human ASL gene and a complete ASL homologue on chromosome 22. The homologue was formerly thought to be a pseudogene but was found, in this study, to be correlated with an immunoglobulin-lambda-like mRNA. On the basis of the novel sequence data, a polymerase reaction chain system for mutation-screening in all 16 coding exons of the ASL gene was established and applied to the analysis of the ASL-deficient patients. We found mutations in all of the 54 investigated alleles and identified 23 (19 novel) different mutations. Some mutational hot-spots were identified (mainly in exons 4, 5, and 7) as were several predominant mutations: IVS5+1G-->A (15 alleles), c.532G-->A (7), c.346C-->T (6), c.1153C-->T (4). This study introduces a system for mutation analysis in the ASL gene, thereby elucidating the genetic background of ASL deficiency, which was found to be associated with considerable allelic heterogeneity.

Argininosuccinate Lyase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inborn error of amino acid synthesis: human glutamine synthetase deficiency.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues, being involved in ammonia detoxification and interorgan nitrogen flux. Inherited systemic deficiency of glutamine based on a defect of glutamine synthetase was recently described in two newborns with an early fatal course of disease. Glutamine was largely absent in their serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. Each of the patients had a homozygous mutation in the glutamine synthetase gene and enzymatic investigations confirmed that these mutations lead to a severely reduced glutamine synthetase activity. From the observation in the first patients with congenital glutamine synthetase deficiency, brain malformation can be expected as one of the leading signs. In addition, other organ systems are probably involved as observed in one of the index patients who suffered from severe enteropathy and necrolytic erythema of the skin. Deficiency of GS has to be added to the list of inherited metabolic disorders as a rare example of a defect in the biosynthesis of an amino acid.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗