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Biomedical subjects

Y Shiloh

Publications and source records attributed to Y Shiloh.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Phenylketonuria: variable phenotypic outcomes of the R261Q mutation and maternal PKU in the offspring of a healthy homozygote.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) and benign hyperphenylalaninaemia (HPA) result from a variety of mutations in the gene for the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. PKU has been found in the Israeli population in two variants, classical and atypical. The two are clinically indistinguishable and require treatment with low phenylalanine diet to prevent mental retardation, but show differences in serum phenylalanine levels and in tolerance to this amino acid. Maternal PKU is a syndrome of congenital anomalies and mental retardation that appears in offspring of PKU mothers as a result of fetal exposure to the high phenylalanine level in the maternal blood. We studied a family in which two children with severe, classical PKU and their unaffected brother showed mild signs of maternal PKU. Their mother had no clinical signs of PKU, but the phenylalanine concentration in her serum reached a level that usually characterises PKU patients. This woman represents a rare phenotype, benign atypical PKU. Such 'hidden' PKU in women may lead to maternal PKU in the offspring, similar to overt PKU. Special attention should therefore be paid to women having children with any of the clinical hallmarks of maternal PKU, and to children born to women known to have benign HPA. The mother was also found to be homozygous for a missense mutation at the phenylalanine hydroxylase locus, R261Q, which does not abolish enzymatic activity completely. In two other families, homozygosity for this mutation resulted in atypical PKU in four children. This observation suggests that mutations that do not completely destroy phenylalanine hydroxylase activity may exhibit variable phenotypic expression which is unpredictable. Compound heterozygosity for R261Q and other mutations led in other patients either to classical PKU or to mild benign HPA.

Adult↗

Use of dystrophin genomic and cDNA probes for solving difficulties in carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) results from mutations in the X-linked gene coding for the muscular protein dystrophin. The isolation of genomic and cDNA probes for this gene has greatly facilitated the detection of DMD carriers, which previously relied mainly on measurements of serum creatine kinase (CK), and has enabled prenatal diagnosis of this disease. However, the relatively large size of the gene and the high frequency of recombination and mutation events within the dystrophin locus continue to pose difficulties in the genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis of DMD, and render the conclusions of molecular analysis less clear cut. This communication presents examples of two such difficulties: the distinction between sporadic and inherited cases in families with a single patient and normal CK levels in all females, and the distinction between mutant and normal dystrophin alleles in families in which the patients have died. The combined use of genomic and cDNA probes allows one to make these distinctions. An additional complicating factor, gonadal mosaicism, is demonstrated.

Clinical Enzyme Tests↗

Detection of amplified DNA sequences in human tumor cell lines by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

An unambiguous and rapid characterization of amplified DNA sequences in tumor cells is important for the understanding of neoplastic progression. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to identify such amplified DNA sequences in human tumor cell lines. Applying this technique, we followed the metaphase location and interphase position of amplified DNA sequences corresponding to the SAMK, MYC, and MYCN genes in four cell lines derived from human tumors: two gastric carcinoma lines (KATO III and SNU-16), a neuroblastoma (NUB-7), and a neuroepithelioma (NUB-20) line. In metaphase cells of KATO III, NUB-7, and NUB-20 lines, the amplified regions were clearly visible and easily identified at an intrachromosomal location: in KATO III and NUB-7 at a terminal position and in NUB-20 at an interstitial position. In SNU-16, on the other hand, the amplified SAMK and MYC sequences were identified in extrachromosomal double minute chromosomes (DMs). In this line, the SAMK and MYC sequences were coamplified in the same cells and were colocated on the same DMs. FISH also allowed the identification of amplified DNA sequences in nondividing cells, enabling us to distinguish, at interphase, whether the amplification gave rise to intrachromosomal amplified regions (IARs) or to extrachromosomal DMs. The FISH technique also allowed us to determine at metaphase as well as at interphase the extent of amplification and the size of the IARs.

DNA Probes↗

A defective splice site at the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene in phenylketonuria and benign hyperphenylalaninemia among Palestinian Arabs.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) and benign hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) result from different combinations of mutations at the locus for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). While some of these mutations show widespread ethnic distribution, others are unique to specific communities. We report here the first point mutation common among Palestinian Arabs. The mutation (IVS2nt1) involves a dinucleotide substitution (Gg-->Aa) at the donor splice site of intron 2 of the PAH gene and abolishes a recognition site of the restriction enzyme MnlI. IVS2nt1 is associated with two PAH polymorphic haplotypes, 7 and 42. Homozygotes for this mutation are affected with severe, classical PKU. Compound heterozygotes carrying the IVS2nt1 allele and one of several other yet unknown mutations show different degrees of benign HPA.

Base Sequence↗

Ataxia-telangiectasia: linkage analysis in highly inbred Arab and Druze families and differentiation from an ataxia-microcephaly-cataract syndrome.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a progressive autosomal recessive disease featuring neurodegeneration, immunodeficiency, chromosomal instability, radiation sensitivity and a highly increased proneness to cancer. A-T is ethnically widespread and genetically heterogeneous, as indicated by the existence of four complementation groups in this disease. Several "A-T-like" genetic diseases share various clinical and cellular characteristics with A-T. By using linkage analysis to study North American and Turkish A-T families, the ATA (A-T, complementation group A) gene has been mapped to chromosome 11q23. A number of Israeli Arab A-T patients coming from large, highly inbred families were assigned to group A. In one of these families, an additional autosomal recessive disease was identified, characterized by ataxia, hypotonia, microcephaly and bilateral congenital cataracts. In two patients with this syndrome, normal levels of serum immunoglobulins and alpha-fetoprotein, chromosomal stability in peripheral blood lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts, and normal cellular response to treatments with X-rays and the radiomimetic drug neocarzinostatin indicated that this disease does not share, with A-T, any additional features other than ataxia. These tests also showed that another patient in this family, who is also mentally retarded, is affected with both disorders. This conclusion was further supported by linkage analysis with 11q23 markers. Lod scores between A-T and these markers, cumulated over three large Arab families, were significant and confirmed the localization of the ATA gene to 11q23. However, another Druze family unassigned to a specific complementation group, showed several recombinants between A-T and the same markers, leaving the localization of the A-T gene in this family open.

Ataxia↗

DNA sequences amplified in cancer cells: an interface between tumor biology and human genome analysis.

There is growing evidence that amplification of specific genes is associated with tumor progression. While several proto-oncogenes are known to be activated by amplification, it is clear that not all the genes involved in DNA amplification in human tumors have been discovered. Our approach to the identification of such genes is based on the 'reverse genetics' methodology. Anonymous amplified DNA fragments are cloned by virtue of their amplification in a given tumor. These sequences are mapped in the normal genome and hence define a new genetic locus. The amplified domain is isolated by long-range cloning and analyzed along three lines of investigation: new genes are sought that can explain the biological significance of the amplification; the structure of the domain is studied in normal cells and in the amplification unit in the cancer cell; attempts are made to identify molecular probes of diagnostic value within the amplified domain. This application of genome technology to cancer biology is demonstrated in our study of a new genomic domain at chromosome 10q26 which is amplified specifically in human gastric carcinomas.

Blotting, Southern↗

Novel DNA sequences at chromosome 10q26 are amplified in human gastric carcinoma cell lines: molecular cloning by competitive DNA reassociation.

Molecular cloning of genomic sequences altered in cancer cells is believed to lead to the identification of new genes involved in the initiation and progression of the malignant phenotype. DNA amplification is a frequent molecular alteration in tumor cells, and is a mode of proto-oncogene activation. The cytologic manifestation of this phenomenon is the appearance of chromosomal homogeneously staining regions (HSRs) or double minute bodies (DMs). The gastric carcinoma cell line KATO III is characterized by a large HSR on chromosome 11. In-gel renaturation analysis confirmed the amplification of DNA sequences in this cell line, yet none of 42 proto-oncogenes that we tested is amplified in KATO III DNA. We employed the phenol-enhanced reassociation technique (PERT) to isolate 21 random DNA fragments from the amplified domain, and used 6 of them to further clone some 150 kb from that genomic region. While in situ hybridization performed with some of these sequences indicated that in KATO III they are indeed amplified within the HSR on chromosome 11, somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ hybridization to normal lymphocyte chromosomes showed that they are derived from chromosome 10, band q26. The same sequences were found to be amplified in another gastric carcinoma cell line, SNU-16, which contains DMs, but were not amplified in other 70 cell lines representing a wide variety of human neoplasms. One of these sequences was highly expressed in both KATO III and SNU-16. Thus, the cloned sequences supply a starting point for identification of novel genes which might be involved in the pathogenesis of gastric cancers, and are located in a relatively unexplored domain of the human genome.

Adult↗

The ATC (ataxia-telangiectasia complementation group C) locus localizes to 11q22-q23.

The multisystem autosomal recessive disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is determined by several genes, as evidenced by the existence of four complementation groups in this disorder. Using linkage analysis, the ATA (A-T complementation group A) gene was previously localized to chromosome 11, region q22-q23. Analysis of the segregation of RFLP markers from this region in a Jewish-Moroccan family assigned to group C indicates that the ATC (A-T complementation group C) gene localizes to chromosome 11q22-q23 as well.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗

Localization of an ataxia-telangiectasia locus to a 3-cM interval on chromosome 11q23: linkage analysis of 111 families by an international consortium.

Linkage of at least two complementation groups of ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) to the chromosomal region 11q23 is now well established. We provide here an 18-point map of the surrounding genomic region, derived from linkage analysis of 40 CEPH families. On the basis of this map, 111 AT families from Turkey, Israel, England, Italy, and the United States were analyzed, localizing the AT gene(s) to an 8-cM sex-averaged interval between the markers STMY and D11S132/NCAM. A new Monte Carlo method for computing approximate location scores estimates this location as being at least 10(8) times more likely than the next most likely interval, with a support interval midway between STMY and D11S132 that is either 5.2 cM (sex-averaged and conservatively based on 3 lod scores from the maximum-location score) or 2.8 cM (male specific, based on a 2.72:1 interval-specific female-to-male distance ratio.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗

Compound heterozygosity in nonphenylketonuria hyperphenylalanemia: the contribution of mutations for classical phenylketonuria.

Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) results from defective hydroxylation of phenylalanine in the liver, in most cases because of defective phenylalanine hydroxylase. HPA is highly variable, ranging from moderate elevation of plasma phenylalanine with no clinical consequences to a severe disease, classical phenylketonuria (PKU). Non-PKU HPA was found in excess of PKU in Israel, while the opposite is true in Europe. To study the genetic basis of non-PKU HPA, we performed haplotype analysis at the phenylalanine hydroxylase locus in 27 families with non-PKU HPA. All individuals with this condition were compound heterozygotes. In six of these families, in which both PKU and non-PKU HPA were segregating, haplotype analysis showed that non-PKU HPA resulted from compound heterozygosity for a PKU mutation and a second mutation, with milder effect, which is probably expressed only when it interacts with the severe mutation. The involvement of PKU mutations in non-PKU HPA was further demonstrated in Jewish Yemenite families with non-PKU HPA, in which the individuals with this condition were carriers of the single PKU allele which exists in this community. In addition, two previously known PKU point mutations (R261Q and R408W) were found in individuals with non-PKU HPA. These mutations are associated, in our population, with the same haplotypes as those with which it is associated in Europe. Based on the above-mentioned genetic model for non-PKU HPA, successful prenatal diagnosis of this condition was performed in one family.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

Importance of phenotypic and molecular characterization for identification of a neuroepithelioma tumor cell line, NUB-20.

A neuroblastic-like cell line (NUB-20) was derived from a case of histopathologically diagnosed metastatic neuroblastoma. The metastatic tumor and nude mouse heterotransplant resembled neuroblastoma by histological criteria, in contrast to the primary tumor, which was differentially classified as Ewing's sarcoma. However, the cell line demonstrated a unique phenotype in culture with respect to morphology, immunohistochemical markers, and sensitivity to a battery of differentiation modulators. These characteristics, together with the presence of a chromosomal translocation (11;22),(q24;q12) and amplification with enhanced expression of the c-myc protooncogene rather than N-myc, established this tumor as neuroepithelioma. Neuroepithelioma is a tumor type distinct from, but related to, neuroblastoma in its development from the neural crest lineage. These results emphasize the growing importance of cytogenetic and molecular markers in the classification and characterization of human tumors.

Bucladesine↗

A single origin of phenylketonuria in Yemenite Jews.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disease caused by recessive mutations of the gene encoding the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). The incidence of PKU varies widely across different geographic areas, and is highest (about 1 in 5,000 live births) in Ireland and western Scotland, and among Yemenite Jews. A limited number of point mutations account for most of the PKU cases in the European population. Here we report that a single molecular defect--a deletion spanning the third exon of the PAH gene--is responsible for all the PKU cases among the Yemenite Jews. Examination of a random sample of Yemenite Jews using a molecular probe that detects the carriers of this deletion indicated a high frequency of the defective gene in this community. Although the deleted PAH gene was traced to 25 different locations throughout Yemen, family histories and official documents of the Yemenite Jewish community showed that the common ancestor of all the carriers of this genetic defect lived in San'a, the capital of Yemen, before the eighteenth century.

Alleles↗

Genetic mapping of X-linked albinism-deafness syndrome (ADFN) to Xq26.3-q27.I.

X-linked albinism-deafness syndrome (ADFN) was described in one Israeli Jewish family and is characterized by congenital nerve deafness and piebaldness. The ADFN mutation probably affects the migration of neural crest-derived precursors of the melanocytes. As a first step toward identifying the ADFN gene, a linkage study was performed to localize the disease locus on the X chromosome. The family was found to be informative for 11 of 107 RFLPs along the X, and two-point analysis showed four of them--factor 9 (F9), DXS91, DXS37, and DNF1--to have definite or suggestive linkage with ADFN. Multipoint linkage analysis indicated two possible orders within this cluster of loci, neither of which was preferable. In both orders F9 was the most distal, and the best estimate for the location of ADFN was between F9 and the next proximal marker (8.6 cM from F9 [Z = 8.1] or 8.3 cM from F9 [Z = 7.9]). These results suggest that the ADFN is at Xq26.3-q27.1. Disagreement between our data and previous localization of DXS91 at Xq11-q13 was resolved by hybridization of the probe pXG-17, which detects the DXS91 locus, to a panel of somatic cell hybrids containing different portions of the X chromosome. This experiment showed that this locus is definitely at Xq24-q26. Together with the linkage data, our results place DXS91 at Xq26 and underscore the importance of using more than one mapping method for the localization of molecular probes.

Albinism↗

Amplification of c-myc and c-erbB-2 proto-oncogenes in human solid tumors: frequency and clinical significance.

Molecular probes for cellular proto-oncogenes have recently been extensively used in order to search for functional and structural alterations in tumor tissues. Variable, and sometimes contradictory, results have been obtained regarding the frequency and clinical significance of amplification of the c-myc and c-erbB-2 proto-oncogenes in different series of human solid tumors. We addressed this question by performing Southern blotting analysis on 131 primary adult solid tumors of various tissues and 5 metastases of unknown origin, using molecular probes for both genes. Amplification of c-myc was found in 5 of the primary tumors, and amplification of c-erbB-2 in 5 others. In 2 tumors of the latter group, the c-erbB-2 gene was also rearranged. The distribution of these 10 tumors with regard to clinical stage and course of the disease did not point to an association between the amplification events and specific stage or prognosis. We concluded that, in this series, the amplification of both proto-oncogenes was occasional and was not a prognostic marker.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Cellular and molecular characteristics of an immortalized ataxia-telangiectasia (group AB) cell line.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a multisystem hereditary disease featuring neurodegeneration, immunodeficiency, extreme cancer proneness, chromosomal instability, and radiosensitivity. A-T is found in many ethnic groups, and is genetically heterogeneous: four complementation groups have been identified in A-T so far. Attempts to isolate the A-T gene are based in part on gene transfer experiments, using permanent A-T fibroblast lines, obtained by transformation with SV40. "Immortalization" of A-T primary diploid fibroblasts using SV40 is difficult, possibly because of the chromosomal instability of these cells. The number of currently available permanent A-T fibroblast lines is small, and not all of them have been assigned to specific complementation groups. Using the assay of X-ray induced inhibition of DNA synthesis, we have assigned the A-T strain AT22IJE to complementation group AB. Origin-defective SV40 was used to transfect these cells, and one transformant (AT22IJE-T), which survived crisis, was found to have the typical characteristics of permanent cell lines obtained in this way. "In-gel renaturation" analysis did not show any DNA amplification of high degree in AT22IJE-T. Cytogenetic analysis showed considerable chromosomal instability in the new cell line, and medium conditioned by these cells contained the clastogenic activity which is characteristic of the parental strain as well. Other parameters of the "cellular A-T phenotype" have also been retained in the immortalized cells: hypersensitivity to the lethal effects of X-rays and neocarzinostatin, as well as "radioresistant" DNA synthesis. However, the sensitivity of AT22IJE-T to both DNA-damaging agents is less pronounced than that of the parental cells. The capacity of the cells for uptake of foreign DNA was tested by introducing into them the plasmid pRSVneo, using three different transfection methods. Satisfactory frequency of G418-resistant transfectants (0.66%) was achieved using a protocol recently published by Chen and Okayama (Mol. Cell Biol., 7: 2745-2752, 1987), which was found to be superior to the traditional calcium phosphate transfection method and to the polybrene-based method.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗

G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity in families with ataxia-telangiectasia.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disease involving chromosomal instability, susceptibility to cancer and X-ray hypersensitivity. The latter two features are expressed to a limited extent in the heterozygous carriers of A-T mutations. Although fibroblast lines from A-T heterozygotes clearly show increased susceptibility to the lethal effect of X-irradiation, the difference in post-irradiation survival between cell lines and normal controls is not always large enough to allow the use of X-ray sensitivity as a laboratory assay for carrier detection in A-T. Recently, we have shown in a blind study, that the extent of chromatid damage induced in the G2 phase of the cell cycle by moderate doses of X-rays is markedly higher in A-T heterozygous cells than in normal controls. We have now applied this test to 6 additional obligatory heterozygotes and 24 individuals with different risks of being A-T carriers, from three Israeli A-T families. All 6 cell lines from the obligatory heterozygotes showed the typical hypersensitivity to the clastogenic action of X-rays in G2; of the 24 cell lines with unknown A-T genotype, 16 showed the same hypersensitivity, and 8 responded in a normal way. The proportion of cell lines showing the "A-T-heterozygous phenotype" was in accord with the expected value, based on Mendelian chance calculations. Since these observations were made, a daughter of two hypersensitive parents in one of these families has been diagnosed as having A-T. This confirmed the presumed A-T heterozygosity of the parents, as indicated by the laboratory assay.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗