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Biomedical subjects

L B Jorde

Publications and source records attributed to L B Jorde.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Mutations in human TBX3 alter limb, apocrine and genital development in ulnar-mammary syndrome.

Ulnar-mammary syndrome is a rare pleiotropic disorder affecting limb, apocrine gland, tooth and genital development. We demonstrate that mutations in human TBX3, a member of the T-box gene family, cause ulnar-mammary syndrome in two families. Each mutation (a single nucleotide deletion and a splice-site mutation) is predicted to cause haploinsufficiency of TBX3, implying that critical levels of this transcription factor are required for morphogenesis of several organs. Limb abnormalities of ulnar-mammary syndrome involve posterior elements. Mutations in TBX5, a related and linked gene, cause anterior limb abnormalities in Holt-Oram syndrome. We suggest that during the evolution of TBX3 and TBX5 from a common ancestral gene, each has acquired specific yet complementary roles in patterning the mammalian upper limb.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Haplotype analysis of hemochromatosis: evaluation of different linkage-disequilibrium approaches and evolution of disease chromosomes.

We applied several types of linkage-disequilibrium calculations to analyze the hereditary hemochromatosis (hh) locus. Twenty-four polymorphic markers in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I region were used to haplotype hh and normal chromosomes. A total of 169 hh and 161 normal chromosomes were analyzed. Disequilibrium values were found to be high over an unusually large region beginning 150 kb centromeric of HLA-A and extending nearly 5 Mb telomeric of it. Recombination in this region was approximately 28% of the expected value. This low level of recombination contributes to the unusually broad region of linkage disequilibrium found with hh. The strongest disequilibrium was found at locus HLA-H (delta = .84) and at locus D6S2239 (delta = .85), a marker approximately 10 kb telomeric to HLA-H. All disequilibrium methods employed in this study found peak disequilibrium at HLA-H or D6S2239. The cys282tyr mutation in HLA-H, a candidate gene for hh, was found in 85% of disease chromosomes. A haplotype phylogeny for hh chromosomes was constructed and suggests that the mutation associated with the most common haplotype occurred relatively recently. The age of the hh mutation was estimated to be approximately 60-70 generations. Disequilibrium was maintained over a greater distance for hh-carrying chromosomes, consistent with a recent mutation for hh. Our data provide a reasonable explanation for previous difficulties in localizing the hh locus and provide an evolutionary history for disease chromosomes.

Evolution, Molecular↗

A variant of Freeman-Sheldon syndrome maps to 11p15.5-pter.

Distal arthrogryposis type 1 (DA1) and Freeman-Sheldon syndrome (FSS) are the two most common known causes of inherited multiple congenital contractures. We recently have characterized a new disorder (DA2B) with a phenotype intermediate between DA1 and FSS. We report the mapping of a gene that causes DA2B to chromosome 11p15.5-pter. Linkage analysis in a single kindred generated a positive LOD score of 5.31 at theta = 0 with the marker D11S922, and recombinants localize the gene to an approximately 3.5-6.5-cM region between the marker TH and the telomere. Analysis of additional families improves the LOD score to 6.45 at theta = 0 and suggests linkage homogeneity for DA2B.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Clinical and biochemical abnormalities in people heterozygous for hemochromatosis.

BACKGROUND: Ten percent of whites are heterozygous for the HLA-linked hemochromatosis mutation. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 1058 genotyped heterozygotes to define the effects of age and sex on the phenotype. METHODS: The heterozygous genotype was assigned to 505 male and 553 female members of 202 pedigrees, each with an HLA-typed homozygous proband. We measured serum iron, transferrin saturation, and ferritin in all heterozygotes and in 321 genetically normal subjects (unaffected family members or spouses of family members). Liver biopsies were performed in a subgroup of heterozygotes. RESULTS: The mean serum iron concentrations and transferrin-saturation values were higher in heterozygotes than in normal subjects and did not increase with age. Initial transferrin-saturation levels exceeding the threshold associated with the homozygous genotype were found in 4 percent of male and 8 percent of female heterozygotes. The geometric mean serum ferritin concentration was higher in heterozygotes than in normal subjects and increased with age. Higher-than-normal values were found in 20 percent of male and 8 percent of female heterozygotes. The clinical and biochemical expression of hemochromatosis was more marked in heterozygotes with paternally transmitted mutations than in those with maternally transmitted mutations. Liver-biopsy abnormalities were generally associated with alcohol abuse, hepatitis, or porphyria cutanea tarda. CONCLUSIONS: The phenotype of persons heterozygous for hemochromatosis differs from that of normal subjects, but complications due to iron overload alone in these heterozygotes are extremely rare.

Adolescent↗

A revised and extended classification of the distal arthrogryposes.

Since the group of disorders known as the distal arthrogryposes (DAs) were defined, additional disorders characterized by multiple congenital contractures of the distal limbs were described, and the distribution of phenotypic findings in the DAs has been expanded. The breadth of disorders labeled as DAs has diminished the usefulness of the DA classification. We propose a strict definition of DA and diagnostic criteria for DA disorders. Subsequently, we use these standards and propose a revised classification of discrete conditions that should be labeled DAs. Optimally, this serves as a framework for a DA classification based on underlying molecular and physiologic abnormalities.

Arthrogryposis↗

Distal arthrogryposis type 1: clinical analysis of a large kindred.

We describe the clinical findings of 15 individuals in a large kindred affected with distal arthrogryposis type 1A (DA1A). The most consistent findings among individuals were overlapping fingers at birth, abnormal digital flexion creases, and foot deformities, including talipes equinovarus and vertical talus. There was marked intrafamilial variation in the expression of DA1A. Linkage mapping of the locus for DA1A suggests that the use of strict diagnostic criteria excludes unaffected individuals rigorously, but can produce incomplete ascertainment of affected individuals. In the context of an affected family, the range of phenotypes consistent with a diagnosis of DA1A needs to be expanded.

Arthrogryposis↗

Mitochondrial mismatch analysis is insensitive to the mutational process.

Mismatch distributions are histograms showing the pattern of nucleotide (or restriction) site differences between pairs of individuals in a sample. They can be used to test hypotheses about the history of population size and subdivision (if selective neutrality is assumed) or about selection (if a constant population size is assumed). Previous work has assumed that mutations never strike the same site twice, an assumption that is called the model of infinite sites. Fortunately, the results are surprisingly robust even when this assumption is violated. We show here that (1) confidence regions inferred using the infinite-sites model differ little from those inferred using a model of finite sites with uniform site-specific mutation rates, and (2) even when site-specific mutation rates follow a gamma distribution, confidence regions are little changed until the gamma shape parameter falls well below its plausible range, to roughly 0.01. In addition, we evaluate and reject the proposition that mismatch waves are produced by pooling data from several subdivisions of a structured population.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗

Ascertainment bias in estimates of average heterozygosity.

Population geneticists work with a nonrandom sample of the human genome. Conventional practice ensures that unusually variable loci are most likely to be discovered and thus included in the sample of loci. Consequently, estimates of average heterozygosity are biased upward. In what follows we describe a model of this bias. When the mutation rate varies among loci, bias is increased. This effect is only moderate, however, so that a model of invariant mutation rates provides a reasonable approximation. Bias is pronounced when estimated heterozygosity is < approximately 35% Consequently, it probably affects estimates from classical polymorphisms as well as from restriction-site polymorphisms. Estimates from short-tandem-repeat polymorphisms have negligible bias, because of their high heterozygosity. Bias should vary not only among categories of polymorphism but also among populations. It should be largest in European populations, since these are the populations in which most polymorphisms were discovered. As this argument predicts, European estimates exceed those of Africa and Asia at systems with large bias. The magnitude of this European excess is consistent with the version of our model in which mutation rates vary across loci.

Bias↗

Genotyping of PCR-based polymorphisms and linkage-disequilibrium analysis at the NF1 locus.

Six polymorphisms across the NF1 gene have been adapted for genotyping through application of PCR-based assays. Three exon-based polymorphisms--at positions 702, 2034, and 10647 in the NF1 cDNA--were genotyped by mutagenically separated PCR (MS-PCR). A fourth polymorphism, DV1.9, is an L1 insertion element in intron 30, and the other two polymorphisms, GXAlu and EVI-20, are short tandem repeats in intron 27b. All the polymorphisms were evaluated in a cohort of 110 CEPH individuals who previously had been analyzed by use of eight RFLPs at the NF1 locus. Pairwise linkage-disequilibrium analyses with the six PCR-based polymorphisms and their flanking markers demonstrated disequilibrium between all tested loci. Genotypes of the four diallelic polymorphisms (702, 2034, 10647, and DV1.9) were also evaluated in cohorts from the CEPH, African, and Japanese populations. The CEPH and Japanese cohorts showed similar heterozygosities and linkage-disequilibrium coefficients. The African cohort showed a higher degree of heterozygosity and lower linkage-disequilibrium values, compared with the CEPH and Japanese cohorts.

Alleles↗

mtDNA variation in caste populations of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Various anthropological analyses have documented extensive regional variation among populations on the subcontinent of India using morphological, protein, blood group, and nuclear DNA polymorphisms. These patterns are the product of complex population structure (genetic drift, gene flow) and a population history noted for numerous branching events. As a result, the interpretation of relationships among caste populations of South India and between Indians and continental populations remains controversial. The Hindu caste system is a general model of genetic differentiation among endogamous populations stratified by social forces (e.g., religion and occupation). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule has unique properties that facilitate the exploration of population structure. We analyzed 36 Hindu men born in Andhra Pradesh who were unrelated matrilineally through at least 3 generations and who represent 4 caste populations: Brahmin (9), Yadava (10), Kapu (7), and Relli (10). Individuals from Africa (36), Asia (36), and Europe (36) were sampled for comparison. A 200-base-pair segment of hypervariable segment 2 (HVS2) of the mtDNA control region was sequenced in all individuals. In the Indian castes 25 distinct haplotypes are identified. Aside from the Cambridge reference sequence, only two haplotypes are shared between caste populations. Middle castes form a highly supported cluster in a neighbor-joining network. Mean nucleotide diversity within each caste is 0.015, 0.012, 0.011, and 0.012 for the Brahmin, Yadava, Kapu, and Relli, respectively. mtDNA variation is highly structured between castes (GST = 0.17; p < 0.002). The effects of social structure on mtDNA variation are much greater than those on variation measured by traditional markers. Explanations for this discordance include (1) the higher resolving power of mtDNA, (2) sex-dependent gene flow, (3) differences in male and female effective population sizes, and (4) elements of the kinship structure. Thirty distinct haplotypes are found in Africans, 17 in Asians, and 13 in Europeans. Mean nucleotide diversity is 0.019, 0.014, 0.009, and 0.007 for Africans, Indians, Asians, and Europeans, respectively. These populations are highly structured geographically (GST = 0.15; p < 0.001). The caste populations of Andhra Pradesh cluster more often with Africans than with Asians or Europeans. This is suggestive of admixture with African populations.

Base Sequence↗

Origins and affinities of modern humans: a comparison of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic data.

To test hypotheses about the origin of modern humans, we analyzed mtDNA sequences, 30 nuclear restriction-site polymorphisms (RSPs), and 30 tetranucleotide short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms in 243 Africans, Asians, and Europeans. An evolutionary tree based on mtDNA displays deep African branches, indicating greater genetic diversity for African populations. This finding, which is consistent with previous mtDNA analyses, has been interpreted as evidence for an African origin of modern humans. Both sets of nuclear polymorphisms, as well as a third set of trinucleotide polymorphisms, are highly consistent with one another but fail to show deep branches for African populations. These results, which represent the first direct comparison of mtDNA and nuclear genetic data in major continental populations, undermine the genetic evidence for an African origin of modern humans.

Africa↗

Loss of chromosome 17 loci in prostate cancer detected by polymerase chain reaction quantitation of allelic markers.

Using a polymerase chain reaction/microsatellite marker system, we demonstrated that 6 of 22 (27%) clinical stage B (early) primary prostate tumors showed loss of heterozygosity at one or more of five loci on chromosome 17. The sensitivity of this study was increased by use of a PhosphorImager and statistical analysis of replicate tumor-normal DNA pairs. Two patients showed tumor-specific interstitial loss at a locus in close proximity to the familial breast cancer gene BRCA1. These findings suggest that genes on the proximal long arm of chromosome 17 play a pivotal role in the early development of at least a subset of prostatic tumors.

Alleles↗

A gene for ulnar-mammary syndrome maps to 12q23-q24.1.

Ulnar-mammary syndrome (UMS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by posterior limb deficiencies or duplications, apocrine/mammary gland hypoplasia and/or dysfunction, abnormal dentition, delayed puberty and genital anomalies. We report the mapping of a gene causing UMS to chromosome 12q23-24.1. Linkage analysis generated a positive lod score of 6.21 at theta = 0.00 with the marker D12S79, and recombinants bracket the UMS gene to a 21 cM region. This region contains a locus for Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) suggesting that the genes for UMS and HOS may be allelic or closely linked. The identification of the gene causing UMS will be an important step toward understanding the molecular mechanisms that control limb and apocrine gland development.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Population genetics of trinucleotide repeat polymorphisms.

Trinucleotide repeats at five disease loci (DM, DRPLA, HD, SBMA and SCA1) were surveyed in phenotypically normal individuals from three continental populations. This is the first analysis to examine the population dynamics of these five disease-related trinucleotide repeats in the same individuals from worldwide populations. Roughly half of all alleles observed at each locus are shared between all continental groups. For three loci, disease prevalence in each population corresponds with the number of alleles in the upper tail of the allele-size distribution. The allele-size distributions of African, Asian and Caucasian groups show a high degree of variation, and gene diversity estimates for trinucleotide repeat loci exceed estimates derived from dinucleotide or tetranucleotide repeats. Analyses that compared infinite alleles and stepwise mutation models suggest that normal variation at trinucleotide loci is not generated by stepwise mutation alone. Trees constructed for subpopulations using trinucleotide repeat loci show accurate continental clustering. Interpopulation genetic distance estimates show remarkable similarity to distance estimates produced from tetranucleotide repeats or nuclear restriction site polymorphisms. This finding is especially noteworthy in light of the fact that trinucleotide repeat polymorphisms at these loci can cause disease, while restriction site and tetranucleotide polymorphisms appear to be selectively neutral. In contrast, genetic distance estimates from trinucleotide loci are poorly correlated with genetic distance estimates from mitochondrial sequence data.

Alleles↗

Genetic evidence on modern human origins.

A review of genetic evidence leads to the following conclusions concerning human population history: (1) Between 33,000 and 150,000 years ago the human population expanded from an initial size of perhaps 10,000 breeding individuals, reaching a size of at least 300,000. (2) Although the initial population was small, it contained at least 1000 breeding individuals. (3) The human races separated several tens of thousands of years before their separate expansions. (4) Before their expansions the separate racial populations were small. These inferences are inconsistent with both the multiregional and the replacement models of modern human origins. They support the "weak Garden of Eden" hypothesis, which holds that the human populations separated some 100,000 years ago but did not expand until tens of thousands of years later.

Alleles↗

Natural history of trisomy 18 and trisomy 13: II. Psychomotor development.

Developmental data were abstracted from medical records on 50 trisomy 18 individuals ranging in age from 1 to 232 months and 12 trisomy 13 individuals ranging in age from 1 to 130 months. Data on the age when trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 children achieved developmental skills were collected from a larger group of 62 trisomy 18 individuals and 14 trisomy 13 individuals whose families filled out parent questionnaires. Developmental quotient (DQ), defined as developmental age divided by chronological age, averaged 0.18 for trisomy 18 and 0.25 for trisomy 13. There was a dramatic drop in DQ from infancy to later childhood. The highest DQs and the greatest variation in DQs were in the first 2-3 years of life. Developmental ages in 7 skill areas were significantly different, with daily living and receptive language having the highest values and motor and communication skills having the lowest. When chronological age was taken into account, there was no significant difference in DQs in the same 7 skill areas, although there was a trend that was similar to the pattern of differences with developmental age. Older children could use a walker, understand words and phrases, use a few words and/or signs, crawl, follow simple commands, recognize and interact with others, and play independently. Walking and some toileting skills were also reported for trisomy 13. Although individuals with trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 were clearly functioning in the severe to profound developmentally handicapped range, they did achieve some psychomotor maturation and always continued to learn.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Linkage disequilibrium patterns vary with chromosomal location: a case study from the von Willebrand factor region.

Linkage disequilibrium analysis has been used as a tool for analyzing marker order and locating disease genes. Under appropriate circumstances, disequilibrium patterns reflect recombination events that have occurred throughout a population's history. As a result, disequilibrium mapping may be useful in genomic regions of < 1 cM where the number of informative meioses needed to detect recombinant individuals within pedigrees is exceptionally high. Its utility for refining target areas for candidate disease genes before initiating chromosomal walks and cloning experiments will be enhanced as the relationship between linkage disequilibrium and physical distance is better understood. To address this issue, we have characterized linkage disequilibrium in a 144-kb region of the von Willebrand factor gene on chromosome 12. Sixty CEPH and 12 von Willebrand disease families were genotyped for five PCR-based markers, which include two microsatellite repeats and three single-base-pair substitutions. Linkage disequilibrium and physical distance between polymorphisms are highly correlated (rm = -.76; P < .05) within this region. None of the five markers showed significant disequilibrium with the von Willebrand disease phenotype. The linkage disequilibrium/physical distance relationship was also analyzed as a function of chromosomal location for this and eight previously characterized regions. This analysis revealed a general trend in which linkage disequilibrium dissipates more rapidly with physical distance in telomeric regions than in centromeric regions. This trend is consistent with higher recombination rates near telomeres.

Alleles↗