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K K Kidd

Publications and source records attributed to K K Kidd.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Linkage disequilibrium between an allele at the dopamine D4 receptor locus and Tourette syndrome, by the transmission-disequilibrium test.

Dopaminergic abnormalities are implicated in the pathogenesis of Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic multiple tics. We used the transmission-disequilibrium test (TDT) method to test for linkage disequilibrium between a specific allele (the seven-repeat allele (DRD4*7R) of the exon 3 VNTR polymorphic site) at the D4 dopamine receptor locus (DRD4) and expression of chronic multiple tics and TS. This particular allele had been shown in functional studies to have different binding properties compared with the other common alleles in this DRD4 polymorphic system. We studied 64 family trios (consisting of an affected person and two parents, at least one heterozygous for DRD4*7R), including 12 nuclear family trios and 52 trios from four large TS kindreds. The DRD4*7R allele was transmitted significantly more frequently than expected (chi 2 TDT ranging from 8.47 [P < .004] to 10.80 [P = .001], depending on breadth of disease definition and inclusion or exclusion of inferred genotypes). Confirmation of this finding will depend on either replication in other samples or the identification of a transmitted functional mutation within this sample.

Alleles↗

[Dynamics of the haplotype frequencies in populations: study using the Monte Carlo method].

A program that simulates random genetic drift, random mating, recombination, natural selection, and mutation process was developed to study the influence of these processes on the evolutionary dynamics of haplotype frequencies in populations. The program can track nine sites, each including up to 15 alleles. The program application was illustrated by the study of frequency dynamics in the HOXB haplotypes (17q) in different populations. The simulation results confirmed the hypothesis, which was proposed on the basis of the experimental data, that, in the absence of recurrent mutations, population mixing, and natural selection, the harmonic mean of the effective population size from the moment of New World colonization up to now was more than 1000.

Alleles↗

The dopamine transporter protein gene (SLC6A3): primary linkage mapping and linkage studies in Tourette syndrome.

The dopamine transporter, the molecule responsible for presynaptic reuptake of dopamine and a major site of action of psychostimulant drugs, including cocaine, is encoded by locus SLC6A3 (alias DAT1). The protein's actions and DAT's specific localization to dopaminergic neurons make it a candidate gene for several psychiatric illnesses. Alleles at this locus have been reported to be associated with cocaine-induced paranoia and attention deficit disorder. SLC6A3 has been mapped to distal chromosome 5p, using physical methods. Our goal was to place SLC6A3 in the genetic linkage map and to test for linkage to Tourette syndrome. Genetic linkage methods were used to place SLC6A3 in the genetic linkage map. Four extended pedigrees (one of which overlaps with CEPH) were typed. Linkage with Tourette syndrome (TS) was also examined. SLC6A3 showed close linkage with several markers previously mapped to distal chromosome 5p, including D5S11 (Zmax = 16.0, theta M = theta F = 0.03, results from four families) and D5S678 (Zmax = 7.84, theta M = theta F = 0, results from two families). Observed crossovers established that SLC6A3 is a distal marker close to D5S10 and D5S678, but these three distal markers could not be ordered. Linkage between TS and SLC6A3 could be excluded independently in two branches of a large kindred segregating TS; the lod score in a third family was also negative, but not significant. Cumulative results show a lod score of -6.2 at theta = 0 and of -3.9 at theta = 0.05 (dominant model, narrow disease definition). SLC6A3 thus maps to distal chromosome 5p by linkage analysis, in agreement with previous physical mapping data. A mutation at SLC6A3 is not causative for TS in the two large families that generated significant negative lod scores (if the parameters of our analyses were correct) and is unlikely to be causative in the family that generated a negative lod score that did not reach significance. These results do not exclude a role for the dopamine transporter in influencing risk for TS in combination with other loci.

Carrier Proteins↗

Assignment of the 5HT7 receptor gene (HTR7) to chromosome 10q and exclusion of genetic linkage with Tourette syndrome.

A novel serotonin receptor designated 5HT7 (genetic locus HTR7) was cloned in 1993. This receptor has interesting properties related to ligand affinity and CNS distribution that render HTR7 a very interesting candidate gene for neuropsychiatric disorders. We mapped this gene, first by physical methods and then by genetic linkage. First, we made a tentative assignment to chromosome 10, based on hybridization of an HTR7 probe to a Southern blot of DNA from somatic cell hybrids. We then identified a genetic polymorphism at the HTR7 locus. We identified one extended pedigree where the polymorphism segregated. Using the LIPED computer program for pairwise linkage analysis, we confirmed the assignment of the gene to chromosome 10, specifically 10q21-q24, based on a lod score of 5.37 at 0% recombination between HTR7 and D10S20 (a chromosome 10 reference marker). Finally, we excluded genetic linkage between this locus and Tourette syndrome under a reasonable set of assumptions.

Blotting, Southern↗

Linkage mapping of serotonin transporter protein gene SLC6A4 on chromosome 17.

Abnormalities in monoamine metabolism, including serotonin metabolism, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of affective disorders, schizophrenia, suicide, and other psychiatric disorders. Serotonin transporter protein (SERT) allows neurons to retrieve serotonin that has been released into a synapse. SERT is a site of action for several drugs with CNS effects, including both therapeutic agents (e.g., antidepressants) and drugs of abuse (e.g., cocaine). This gene had previously been physically mapped to chromosome 17. We used a PCR product corresponding to the 3' untranslated region of the gene as a probe to identify restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), which we then used to establish that the SLC6A4, genetic locus for SERT, is near 17q12 and probably flanked by D17S58 and D17S73 (a location consistent with observed crossovers). These data should be useful for linkage studies of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Carrier Proteins↗

Linkage of congenital, recessive deafness (DFNB4) to chromosome 7q31 and evidence for genetic heterogeneity in the Middle Eastern Druze population.

Clinically significant hearing loss affects 1 in 1000 infants and it is estimated that at least 50% of these cases are due to a genetic cause. Some forms of inherited deafness are syndromic and affected individuals have a specific pattern of additional features while in other families the deafness is non-syndromic and there is no other recognizable phenotype. Analysis of several large families with syndromic and non-syndromic forms of deafness have been used in genetic linkage analysis to identify genes or gene locations that cause deafness. Here, we describe a large Middle-Eastern Druze family with recessive non-syndromic deafness and demonstrate linkage between deafness in this family and human chromosome 7q31 with a lod score exceeding 5.5. This is the first evidence for a gene at this location that causes deafness. In addition, we found that deafness in three other Druze pedigrees, one related to the linked family, is not linked to this chromosomal location. This suggests that there are multiple nonallelic mutations for deafness in this genetic isolate.

Cell Line↗

Network-based informatics support of research collaborations in the Human Genome Project and the Human Brain Project.

Sophisticated network-based informatics support will increasingly be required for collaborating biomedical laboratories located in different geographic locations, both to accommodate the massive amount of data being generated in certain fields, and to allow different types of data produced at different laboratories to be analyzed in an integrated fashion. The paper describes the experience of the Yale Center for Medical Informatics in providing informatics support for collaborative projects in gene mapping (as part of the national Human Genome Project) and neuroscience (as part of the national Human Brain Project). The paper describes the informatics needs of the two projects and the solutions being developed, describes certain lessons learned, and discusses certain broader issues that arise.

Brain Mapping↗

D2 dopamine receptor alleles do not influence severity of Tourette's syndrome. Results from four large kindreds.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the recently proposed hypothesis that the A1 allele of the Taq I polymorphic system at the D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) influences the severity of Tourette's syndrome (TS). We have previously demonstrated that DRD2 is not linked to TS, establishing that it cannot be the major locus determining the susceptibility to develop TS. METHOD: We studied alleles at the DRD2 A system in patients with TS or chronic multiple tics in four extended kindreds segregating TS. If this allelic system at DRD2 is associated with severity of TS, then among affected family members, those with the A1 allele should have more severe disease than those without it. Severity of disease was compared in affected members of the kindreds with A1 alleles and in those without A1 alleles. RESULTS: We evaluated disease severity in two ways. First, we evaluated 17 individuals from two families using a derivative of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale composed of subscales concerning number, frequency, and severity of motor and phonic tics, rated separately. We divided this sample (n = 17, nine with TS and eight with chronic multiple tics) by genotype at the A1/A2 system. The heterozygotes (n = 7) had an average severity score of 11.3; the A2 homozygotes had an average severity score of 14.2. (There were no A1 homozygotes.) Second, we evaluated 47 individuals from two different families (all with TS) using the TS symptomatology evaluation. We compared severity scores for these individuals by genotype at the A1/A2 system. The heterozygotes (n = 24) had a mean severity score of 3.0, and the A2 homozygotes (N = 21) had a mean severity score of 3.7. CONCLUSION: Our data do not support alleles at the A system of DRD2 as a factor associated with severity of TS.

Alleles↗

Computer-assisted restriction mapping: an integrated approach to handling experimental uncertainty.

Building a map of restriction sites from double-digest gel data can be a complex and frustrating task, especially when many DNA fragments are detected or when the gel results are ambiguous. 'Double Digester' is an interactive, graphical computer program which helps researchers understand and resolve such data. It explicitly represents the experimental data, the associated uncertainties, the researcher's hypotheses and possible map interpretations. Alternative solutions are frequently possible, and the differences between them may help determine which additional experiments might resolve ambiguities. Initial use has confirmed the benefits of this approach, and has suggested ways in which it can be refined and extended. Double Digester meets the need for a practical tool to help build restriction maps, and also illustrates how a computer-based tool can confront experimental uncertainty in an integrated fashion.

Algorithms↗

Linkage study of a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia in the pseudoautosomal region.

Several lines of evidence suggest that the sex chromosomes have a role in the expression of schizophrenia. Gender differences in response to treatment, age at onset of illness, and prognosis indicate an influence of sex in differential expression of schizophrenia. On the basis of a higher-than-expected concordance for sex among siblings with schizophrenia, as well as the findings of cytogenetic abnormalities of the sex chromosomes in some schizophrenia patients, a pseudoautosomal location for a schizophrenia susceptibility locus has been proposed. To test this hypothesis, we investigated genetic linkage of the pseudoautosomal region to schizophrenia in a large Swedish kindred. Using pairwise analyses we tested eight markers spanning the most telomeric region to the boundary of the sex-specific region. In addition, we used multi-point analysis with five markers spanning the region to test for the presence of a schizophrenia susceptibility locus in the pseudoautosomal region. No evidence was found for linkage to schizophrenia under the given genetic model: "autosomal" dominant, f (penetrance) = 0.72, q (gene frequency) = 0.02, phenocopies = 0.001.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Detection of DNA sequence variation via deliberate heteroduplex formation from genomic DNAs amplified en masse in "population tubes".

We have developed the population tube (poptube) system for sensitive detection and large-scale sampling of DNA sequence variation in several human populations of wide geographic distribution. In this methodology, genomic DNAs from five individuals in a population are PCR amplified en masse to maximize deliberately the chances of forming heteroduplexes among allelic variants. Interpopulation mixing is performed in a separate set of tubes containing one individual from each of five populations as well as a reference chimpanzee sample deliberately chosen to be different from all humans. Mismatches at sites of allelic variation retard the electrophoresis and reduce the stability of heteroduplex molecules. The products are electrophoresed on denaturing gradient gels where detection of heteroduplexes is accomplished readily. Using poptubes, we have discovered a rare variant in an otherwise highly conserved 440-bp segment in the long intron of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene. The polymorphism at this X-chromosome locus could be only detected in males by mixing samples, as homoduplexes for both alleles co-focus on denaturing gradient electrophoresis.

Animals↗

Alleles at the dopamine D4 receptor locus do not contribute to the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia in a large Swedish kindred.

The discovery of a functional polymorphism within the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) has not only strengthened the hypotheses implicating DRD4 in the etiology of neuropyschiatric disorders, but also provided a genetic marker for testing these hypotheses. The possibility of the dopamine D4 receptor as a candidate gene for schizophrenia was investigated in a large Swedish kindred segregating for schizophrenia. Linkage to schizophrenia was tested by linkage analyses of 6 polymorphic markers (at 4 loci) in chromosome 11p15.5 including the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) loci. Schizophrenia was excluded from close linkage to the DRD4 locus using two of the polymorphisms located within the dopamine D4 receptor gene. The first DRD4 polymorphism consists of variation in the number of a 48 bp imperfect direct repeat in the third exon; the second consists of a variable number of repeated G nucleotides in the first intron. In addition, some of the individuals homozygous for four or seven copies of 48 bp repeat alleles were tested for previously reported sequence variation among repeats. No single haplotype of the DRD4 alleles or haplotype of other markers in chromosome 11p15.5 was found to be common to the schizophrenic individuals in this family. Therefore, we find no evidence for linkage of the D4 receptor, or this region of 11p15.5, with genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia in this kindred.

Alleles↗

Population frequencies of the A1 allele at the dopamine D2 receptor locus.

The reported association of a polymorphic allele at the dopamine D2 receptor locus (DRD2) and alcoholism has recently been the focus of considerable interest and controversy. Evidence both for and against an association of the A1 allele of the TaqI A system have been reported. One of the inconsistencies in these studies is the frequency of the A1 allele in the controls. We undertook this study to determine the frequencies of the DRD2 A1 allele in different populations. The frequency of the DRD2 A1 allele was studied in 381 unrelated people from 16 different populations. On a global scale the frequency of the A1 allele was found to be dramatically different among the populations studied, from as low as 0.09 to as high as 0.75. Because of these significant differences an association study with this polymorphism must carefully control for ethnic origin of subjects and the results must be evaluated with caution.

Alcoholism↗

Nuclear DNA polymorphisms in a wild population of yellow baboons (Papio hamadryas cynocephalus) from Mikumi National Park, Tanzania.

Yellow baboons (Papio hamadryas cynocephalus) from Mikumi National Park, Tanzania were studied for polymorphisms in nuclear DNA. The study population consists of four social groups that inhabit overlapping home ranges and exchange males. As a result, these groups are considered to be members of a single interbreeding population. Human DNA clones were used as probes to screen five loci (AT3, REN, HEXB, VIM, and APOB) for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). A total of 14 polymorphisms, at least one at each locus, was detected in a panel of 27 baboons tested using six restriction enzymes for each locus. Eleven of these RFLP systems have average heterozygosity values greater than 0.40. This initial screening demonstrates that human DNA clones can be used to detect significant numbers of informative DNA polymorphisms in single-copy nuclear genes of this species and suggests that the average proportion of nucleotides polymorphic across nuclear loci in this population may be between 1.0% and 1.3%.

Animals↗

Physical and genetic maps for chromosome 10.

A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) physical map of 14 polymorphic loci on chromosome 10 covers over 62% of the fractional length of chromosome 10. The positions of three previously mapped loci are confirmed, nine more are refined, and two new loci are cytogenetically mapped. The order of loci determined by FISH agrees with that obtained by genetic linkage studies. When the distance estimates for the physical map are compared to the distance estimates of our existing linkage map, the sex average ratio of the fractional length (FL) per centimorgan (cM) for this portion of chromosome 10 is 0.004 (or 0.4% FL/cM). However, the average ratios for male- and female-specific genetic distances are quite different, in agreement with an overall higher rate of recombination in females (0.008 FL/cM and 0.003 FL/cM, respectively). Moreover, the ratio across the centromere is larger for both the male (0.031 FL/cM) and the female (0.009 FL/cM) than the ratio encompassing the q arm (0.006 FL/cM for males and 0.002 FL/cM for females), suggesting that there is reduced recombination at the centromere in both the male and the female maps when compared to the physical distance generated from FISH on metaphase chromosomes.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Genomic and yeast artificial chromosome long-range physical maps linking six loci in 10q11.2 and spanning the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) region.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia types 2A and 2B (MEN 2A and MEN 2B) and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) are dominantly inherited cancers that have in common the clinical feature of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). We have performed both genomic long-range restriction mapping and yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig assembly and restriction mapping to establish physical linkage, order, and distances between six loci in 10q11.2 near the genes responsible for these hereditary cancers. RET, D10S94, D10S182, and D10S102 have been mapped in genomic DNA. RET, D10S94, D10S182, D10F38S3, and the 10q11.2 sequences detected by DNA marker DM124 are encompassed by a 1-Mb YAC contig. Six physically linked loci are within 1.4 Mb and have an order and orientation of 10cen, D10F38S3, DM124, RET, D10S94, D10S182, D10S102, 10qter. Mutations in the RET proto-oncogene have recently been demonstrated to be associated with MEN 2A and FMTC. RET is located within a genetically defined MEN2A candidate interval between D10S141 and D10S94; MEN2B has been mapped to a larger, overlapping region between D10S141 and a more distal locus, RBP3. Both our genomic physical map and our YAC contig span the entire MEN2A candidate region and overlap with that of MEN2B. These maps will facilitate the identification of genes that can be considered candidates for MEN2B and the identification of tumor-specific alterations important in sporadic MTC.

Base Sequence↗

A new polymorphic marker (D10S97) tightly linked to the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) locus.

Familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) is a cancer syndrome that is inherited as an autosomal dominant with high penetrance. Its clinical features are medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pheochromocytomas, and hyperparathyroidism. A new polymorphic locus D10S97 (probe: KW6 delta SacI) detects a codominant EcoRI polymorphism that is tightly linked to the MEN2A locus. The peak lod score for linkage between D10S97 with MEN2A is 13.03 at theta = 0.00. The polymorphic locus D10S97 maps, by linkage analysis, into the previously defined interval between FNRB and RBP3 to which MEN2A has been assigned. We present physical mapping data showing that the probe pKW6 originates from 10p13 and that the polymorphic locus D10S97 in 10q11.2 is detected by cross-hybridization.

Animals↗