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Nonassociation of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist genotypes with bone mineral density, bone turnover status, and estrogen responsiveness in Korean postmenopausal women.

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), a natural inhibitor of interleukin-1 (IL-1), completely inhibits the stimulatory effects of IL-1 on bone resorption. Bioactivity of IL-1 increases in the estrogen-deficient state with an increased IL-1:IL-1ra ratio and decreases after estrogen replacement therapy with a decreased IL-1:IL-1ra ratio. An association was found between an 86 basepair variable number tandem-repeat (VNTR) polymorphism of the IL-1ra gene and an increased production of IL-1ra in a cultured monocyte system. The IL-1ra VNTR polymorphism, therefore, is an attractive candidate gene for osteoporosis susceptibility as well as hormone responsiveness after estrogen replacement. We examined the association of this VNTR polymorphism with bone mass, bone turnover, and the change of bone mineral density (BMD) after 1 year of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The frequencies of the five alleles were as follows: A1, 90.8% (410 bp, four repeats); A2, 7.2% (240 bp, two repeats); A3, 1.6% (500 bp, five repeats); A4, 0.4% (326 bp, three repeats); and A5, 0% (595 bp, six repeats), in 714 healthy ethnically Korean postmenopausal women, aged 41-74 years (55.2 +/- 6.3 years mean +/- SD). Spine (L2-4) and femoral neck BMD were not significantly different among IL-1ra genotypes, and no significant genotypic differences were found in bone markers. There were no differences in genotypic proportions when we categorized the subjects into a high-loss group and a normal-loss group with regard to levels of bone marker. No significant genotypic differences were found in changes in lumbar and femoral neck BMD and those in bone markers before and after 1 year of HRT in 312 women. Our data suggest that these IL-1ra polymorphisms are not associated with BMD, bone turnover, or the change of BMD after 1 year of HRT in Korean women.

Adult↗

Molecular population genetics of the alcohol dehydrogenase locus in the Hawaiian drosophilid D. mimica.

Sequence variation among 10 alleles of the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) gene of the Hawaiian drosophilid D. mimica was analyzed with reference to the evolutionary history of the Hawaiian subgroup as well as to levels and patterns of polymorphism of the Adh gene in continental drosophilid species. The Adh gene of D. mimica is less polymorphic than that of other drosophilid species, and no replacement substitutions were found. Statistical analyses of the Adh alleles suggested the action of balancing selection and revealed significant linkage disequilibrium among three of the variable sites. The effective population size was estimated to be only slightly smaller than that of continental species and, surprisingly, on the same order of magnitude as the actual size.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Enhanced expression of the DNA damage-inducible gene DIN7 results in increased mutagenesis of mitochondrial DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We reported previously that the product of DIN7, a DNA damage-inducible gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, belongs to the XPG family of proteins, which are involved in DNA repair and replication. This family includes the S. cerevisiae protein Rad2p and its human homolog XPGC, Rad27p and its mammalian homolog FEN-1, and Exonuclease I (Exo I). Interestingly, Din7p is the only member of the XPG family which specifically functions in mitochondria. We reported previously that overexpression of DIN7 results in a mitochondrial mutator phenotype. In the present study we wished to test the hypothesis that this phenotype is dependent on the nuclease activity of Din7p. For this purpose, we constructed two alleles, din7-D78A and din7-D173A, which encode proteins in which highly conserved aspartates important for the nuclease activity of the XPG proteins have been replaced by alanines. Here, we report that overexpression of the mutant alleles, in contrast to DIN7, fails to increase the frequency of mitochondrial petite mutants or erythromycin-resistant (Er) mutants. Also, overproduction of din7-D78Ap does not result in destabilization of poly GT tracts in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the phenotype observed in cells that overexpress Din7p. We also show that petite mutants induced by enhanced synthesis of wild-type Din7p exhibit gross rearrangements of mtDNA, and that this correlates with enhanced recombination within the mitochondrial cyt b gene. These results suggest that the stability of the mitochondrial genome of S. cerevisiae is modulated by the level of the nuclease Din7p.

Base Sequence↗

Association of catechol-O-methyltransferase with smoking cessation in two independent studies of women.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: The Val108/158Met polymorphism in the gene that encodes COMT, a dopamine metabolizing enzyme, results in a three- to four-fold reduction in COMT activity. To determine if the lower activity Met allele of COMT was associated with smoking cessation in women, we used two independent studies: a population-based case--control study and a nicotine replacement clinical trial. RESULTS: In the case--control study, women with two Met alleles were significantly more likely to be ex-smokers than current smokers [OR=1.82, 95% CI (1.05, 3.17), P=0.03]. In the nicotine replacement clinical trial, among women, the Met/Met genotype was associated with a higher probability of smoking cessation based on both point prevalence and prolonged abstinence outcomes [OR=2.96, 95% CI (1.07, 8.14), P=0.04; OR=3.23, 95% CI (1.13, 9.20), P=0.03, respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: This first report of a significant association between COMT Val108/158Met and smoking cessation suggests that COMT variation has an effect on smoking behavior in women.

Aged↗

Relationship between apolipoprotein E polymorphism, menopausal symptoms, and serum lipids during hormone replacement therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Menopausal women receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve symptoms and to help prevent osteoporosis or atherosclerotic disease. We investigated the association of apolipoprotein (apo) E polymorphism with menopausal symptoms, body fat mass and lipid profile in 236 women, together with the lipid changes accompanying HRT administration in 172 women from this population who were postmenopausal. STUDY DESIGN: The subjects were divided into three groups according to apo E phenotype: group E2, apo E2/2 and 2/3; group E3, apo E3/3; group E4, apo E4/3 and 4/4. Typical menopausal symptoms were classified into four degrees of severity; body fat mass, lipid profile, and serum lipid levels were measured before and 6 months after oral HRT. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the symptoms of the three groups. The serum levels of apo E were the highest in group E2 and lowest in group E4. Analogous tendencies were seen in the mean levels of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and apo B, with group E4 having the highest levels and group E2 the lowest. Triglyceride levels (TG) were the highest in group E2, but the difference was not significant. These parameters suggest that group E4 had the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. The LDL-C/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio was improved from 2.18 before HRT to 1.52 after HRT in group E2; from 2.26 to 1.92 in group E3; and from 2.57 to 2.10 in group E4. CONCLUSION: The apo E phenotype was not associated with any difference in menopausal symptoms. Group E4 had the highest risk for cardiovascular disease, and group E2 the lowest. Oral HRT could be recommended for the women in group E4.

Adipose Tissue↗

Molecular evolutionary analyses of the odorant-binding protein gene Gp-9 in fire ants and other Solenopsis species.

The fire ant Solenopsis invicta exists in two social forms, one with colonies headed by a single reproductive queen (monogyne form) and the other with colonies containing multiple queens (polygyne form). This variation in social organization is associated with variation at the gene Gp-9, with monogyne colonies harboring only the B allelic variant and polygyne colonies containing b-like variants as well. We generated new Gp-9 sequences from 15 Solenopsis species and combined these with previously published sequences to conduct a comprehensive, phylogenetically based study of the molecular evolution of this important gene. The exon/intron structure and the respective lengths of the five exons of Gp-9 are identical across all species examined, and we detected no evidence for intragenic recombination. These data conform to a previous suggestion that Gp-9 lies in a genomic region with low recombination, and they indicate that evolution of the coding region in Solenopsis has involved point substitutions only. Our results confirm a link between the presence of b-like alleles and the expression of polygyny in all South American fire ant species known to possess colonies of both social forms. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses show that b-like alleles comprise a derived clade of Gp-9 sequences within the socially polymorphic species, lending further support to the hypothesis that monogyny preceded polygyny in this group of fire ants. Site-specific maximum likelihood tests identified several amino acids that have experienced positive selection, two of which are adjacent to the inferred binding-pocket residues in the GP-9 protein. Four other binding-pocket residues are variable among fire ant species, although selection is not implicated in this variation. Branch-specific tests revealed strong positive selection on the stem lineage of the b-like allele clade, as expected if selection drove the amino acid replacements crucial to the expression of polygyne social organization. Such selection may have operated via the ligand-binding properties of GP-9, as one of the two amino acids uniquely shared by all b-like alleles is predicted to be a binding-pocket residue.

Animals↗

Identification of a mutation in the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the stimulatory G protein of adenylyl cyclase in McCune-Albright syndrome.

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is characterized by polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, café-au-lait lesions, and a variety of endocrine disorders, including precocious puberty, hyperthyroidism, hypercortisolism, growth hormone excess, and hyperprolactinemia. The diverse metabolic abnormalities seen in MAS share the involvement of cells that respond to extracellular signals through activation of the hormone-sensitive adenylyl cyclase system (EC 4.6.1.1). Mutations that lead to constitutive activation of Gs alpha, the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein that stimulates adenylyl cyclase activity, have been identified in a subset of human growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumors and human thyroid tumors. We report here the identification of a mutation in the gene encoding Gs alpha in a patient with MAS. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to analyze amplified DNA fragments including exon 8 or exon 9 of the Gs alpha gene. In one subject with MAS a G-to-A transition was found in exon 8 of one of the two alleles encoding Gs alpha. This single-base substitution results in the replacement of arginine by histidine at position 201 of the mature Gs alpha protein. Semiquantitative analysis of amplified DNA indicated that the mutant allele was less prevalent than the wild-type allele in peripheral leukocytes and was present in very low levels in skin. These findings support the previous contention that the segmental distribution and variable expression of the cutaneous, skeletal, and endocrine manifestations of MAS reflect an underlying somatic mosaicism. Further, these results suggest that the molecular basis of MAS is a postzygotic mutation in Gs alpha that causes constitutive activation of adenylyl cyclase.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Evidence for selection at the fused1 locus of Drosophila americana.

We analyze genetic variation at fused1, a locus that is close to the centromere of the X chromosome-autosome (X/4) fusion in Drosophila americana. In contrast to other X-linked and autosomal genes, for which a lack of population subdivision in D. americana has been observed at the DNA level, we find strong haplotype structure associated with the alternative chromosomal arrangements. There are several derived fixed differences at fused1 (including one amino acid replacement) between two haplotype classes of this locus. From these results, we obtain an estimate of an age of approximately 0.61 million years for the origin of the two haplotypes of the fused1 gene. Haplotypes associated with the X/4 fusion have less DNA sequence variation at fused1 than haplotypes associated with the ancestral chromosome arrangement. The X/4 haplotypes also exhibit clinal variation for the allele frequencies of the three most common amino acid replacement polymorphisms, but not for adjacent silent polymorphisms. These patterns of variation are best explained as a result of selection acting on amino acid substitutions, with geographic variation in selection pressures.

Animals↗

Gene replacement in Bordetella pertussis by transformation with linear DNA.

We replaced the wild-type TOX operon of Bordetella pertussis with in vitro mutated, detoxified alleles by electroporetic transformation using unmarked linear DNA. Uptake of DNA was selected by transient ampicillin resistance and two simultaneous recombination events resulted in gene-replacement at the natural locus with no integration of heterologous DNA. TOX alleles were stable without selection and recombinant strains secreted non-toxic, fully assembled, protective pertussis toxin (PT) analogues with kinetics similar to the parental vaccine strain under production-scale fermentation conditions. Strains generated in this way are suitable for the production of recombinant whole-cell or component whooping cough vaccines that require no chemical modification of PT.

Alleles↗

HLA-A*8001 is a member of a newly discovered ancient family of HLA-A alleles.

A member of a new HLA-A locus family, HLA-A*8001, has been characterized from 3 African-American individuals expressing a unique HLA-A serologic specificity. The HLA-A*8001 sequence is most closely related to alleles of the HLA-A1/3/11 family, although it also contains residues characteristic of the HLA-A2/28, -A9, -A10, and -A19 families. More importantly, the HLA-A*8001 sequence contains four unique nonsynonymous (amino acid replacing) nucleotide substitutions absent from all other primate A locus alleles. In addition, five other nucleotide substitutions, four nonsynonymous and one synonymous (silent), observed only in non-human primate A locus alleles were found. Neighbor-joining tree analysis of HLA-A*8001 supports the notion that the HLA-A*8001 allele is a member of a new HLA-A locus family which was derived from the ancestral A3 lineage but diverged early in the evolution of the HLA-A locus.

Alleles↗

Immunogenetics of HLA null alleles: implications for blood stem cell transplantation.

The transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells is a potentially curative therapy for a variety of haematological and non-haematological diseases. Matching of donor and recipient for human leucocyte antigens (HLA) is pivotal for the success of blood stem cell transplantation. HLA null alleles are characterized by the lack of a serologically detectable product. Because serological HLA diagnostics are increasingly replaced by DNA-based typing methods considering only small regions of the genes, null alleles may be misdiagnosed as normally expressed variants. The failure to identify an HLA null allele as a non-expressed variant in the stem cell transplantation setting may result in an HLA mismatch that is highly likely to stimulate allogeneic T cells and to trigger graft-vs-host disease. For some HLA null alleles, the translation into a truncated polypeptide chain seems possible, which thus might act as minor histocompatibility antigens. Because the prevalence of HLA null alleles may be around 0.3% or even higher, a screening strategy for HLA null alleles should, therefore, be implemented in the clinical laboratory. It may consist of the combination of serology and standard molecular typing techniques. As the standard molecular techniques are sometimes troublesome especially for characterizing the cytosine island at the 5' end of HLA class I exon 4 and need continuously be updated, an alternative approach may consist of sequencing all samples from genomic DNA for exons 2-3 or 4 (class I) or exon 2 (class II), including the adjacent intron splicing sites. This approach will detect 36/40 so far known non-expressed variants and has the potential to easily uncover novel variants, thus essentially minimizing the risk of overlooking these challenging variants.

DNA↗

A fine analysis of glucose-phosphate-isomerase patterns in single preimplantation mouse embryos.

Mouse embryos were derived from eggs heterozygous for alleles of the dimeric enzyme glucose phosphate isomerase (Gpi-1a/Gpi-1b) that had been fertilized with sperm carrying a third allele (Gpi-1c). This particular combination makes it possible to study the activity of the paternally derived as well as the maternally derived genes, the persistence of oocyte-coded enzyme throughout early development and the possible simultaneous expression of both the paternally derived allele and the maternal message. The different isozymes present in single embryos were separated by electrophoresis. The results show that the oocyte-coded glucose phosphate isomerase is gradually replaced by embryo-coded enzyme. Expression of the paternally derived allele was first detected at the morula stage, during which the translation of the maternally derived message seemed to be either exhausted or below the detection limit of our system. Some oocyte-coded enzyme persisted until after implantation.

Animals↗

A novel missense mutation Ile538Val in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 in hypochondroplasia. Mutations in brief no. 122. Online.

Hypochondroplasia and achondroplasia are skeletal dysplasias, characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance and disproportionate short stature, which occurs mainly due to growth failure of the extremities. Both dysplasias have been mapped to fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. For hypochondroplasia, two point mutations, both responsible for the Asn540Lys substitution in the region coding the tyrosine kinase domain have been reported. Here we report an A to G transition at position 1651, predicting an Ile538Val substitution in the FGFR3, in hypochondroplasia. The substitution is found in a swedish family with three affected members. The criteria for hypochondroplasia were disproportionate short stature and radiological evidence of shortened long bones and decrease or absence of normal increase in interpedicular distances of the lumbar column. The mutation was detected by direct sequencing and restriction enzyme Tai I digestion. The base change was not found in the FGFR3 genes of unaffected members of the family nor in seventy-five unrelated unaffected individuals, suggesting that it was not a polymorphism. The Ile538Val substitution is a conservative amino acid change (a hydrophobic amino acid incorporated for another hydrophobic amino acid). Nevertheless, it is located in the stretch of nine amino acids, which is highly conserved among all the human fibroblast growth factor receptors. Considering the location of this substitution and the segregation with the phenotype in this family, we propose that it is a causative mutation of hypochondroplasia. It is difficult to establish whether the Ile538Val substitution is rare in hypochondroplasia patients or whether the individuals, who have a moderate degree of short stature, rarely seek medical help for the short stature and consequently are rarely diagnosed as affected by hypochondroplasia.

Achondroplasia↗

Multiple binding of methyl-CpG and polycomb proteins in long-term gene silencing events.

Epigenetic regulation is involved in the maintenance of long-term silencing phenomena, such as X-inactivation and genomic imprinting in mammals. Gene repression is mediated by several mechanisms, such as histone modifications, DNA methylation, and recruitment of Polycomb proteins. To understand the mechanistic relationships between these mechanisms for stable gene silencing, we analyzed the mechanisms of X- and Y-inactivation of the PAR2 gene SYBL1, previously showed to be regulated by concerted epigenetic mechanisms. Maintenance of stable repression occurs via the recruitment of both MBDPs and PRC2 complexes to SYBL1 promoter. Their binding is equally sensitive to defective DNA methylation seen in cells derived from ICF syndrome patients. Multiple occupancy is a feature shared within long-term repressed genes, such as the X-inactivated PGK1 and the imprinted IGF2. MBD2, MBD3, and MeCP2 occupy SYBL1 promoter simultaneously, as revealed by sequential ChIP. We did not find this co-occurring binding when looked for members of PRC2 complex together with any of the methyl-binding proteins. Furthermore, in co-transfection assays, MECP2 can silence methylated SYBL1 promoter, whereas the mutated protein fails. However, RNA interference of endogenous MECP2 does not induce the expression of the inactive SYBL1 alleles, suggesting that its silencing activity can be replaced by the other methyl-binding proteins. Our data suggest that maintenance of long-term silencing involves multiple layers of epigenetic control functionally redundant. PRC2 and MBD proteins could collaborate to different phases of this process, the former possibly recruiting DNMTs to the silenced promoters, the latter dictating the lock of the transcription.

Cell Line↗

Correlation between restriction map, genetic map and catalytic functions in the gene complex URA2.

We replaced the URA2 gene by six different deleted alleles constructed in vitro by Bg/II digestion in order to correlate the genetic map with the restriction map and to define the regions coding for the different functions of the carbamylphosphate synthetase--aspartate transcarbamylase complex (CPSase-ATCase). We also enlarged the collection of ura2 point mutations by using a positive selection method based on resistance to the toxic accumulation of ureidosuccinic acid (USA). Of the new independent mutations nine mapped in the intermediary zone, a previously defined mutationless region localized between regions coding for CPSase and ATCase. This shows that the former definition resulted from analysis of a limited number of mutants (40). The study of an allele deleted in the intermediary zone shows that this sequence codes for a protein region necessary for the feedback inhibition of the CPSase-ATcase enzyme complex. The CPSase- ATCase- phenotype of 26 mutants resistant to USA accumulation shows the importance of the in vivo channelling of carbamylphosphate in the CPSase-ATCase complex for USA and subsequent pyrimidine biosynthesis. Finally, our results confirm that the CPSase and ATCase activities are separate functions.

Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase↗

Emerging Therapies for Angelman Syndrome.

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a complex neurogenetic disorder characterized by severe global developmental delay, motor dysfunction, and epilepsy, primarily resulting from the lack of functional ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) protein expression in neurons. While current management remains largely symptomatic, the therapeutic landscape for AS is rapidly evolving. Emerging strategies aim to restore UBE3A function through upstream interventions, such as gene replacement therapy or unsilencing of the imprinted paternal allele, which is present but transcriptionally silenced in neurons due to genomic imprinting. This imprinting is mediated by the distal portion of a long non-coding RNA known as the UBE3A-antisense transcript (UBE3A-ATS). This UBE3A-ATS has become a key therapeutic target, with several approaches developed to unsilence the paternal allele, including antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), CRISPR-based editing, synthetic microRNA, and other modalities. To date, three ASO programs have demonstrated promising signals in early clinical development, with reported improvements in clinical outcomes and electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers. Given the potential for improved outcomes with early intervention, the inclusion of AS in broader genomic newborn screening programs is currently being explored. An early-intervention approach, or combination of approaches, holds significant promise for transforming the lives of individuals affected by AS with outcomes dependent on their age or genotype.

Humans↗

A nuclear yeast gene (GCY) encodes a polypeptide with high homology to a vertebrate eye lens protein.

We describe here the nuclear gene for a yeast protein showing unexpectedly high homology with mammalian aldo/keto reductases as well as with p-crystallin, one of the prominent proteins of the frog eye lens. Although it could be proven that the gene occurs as a single copy in the haploid yeast genome, replacement of the intact by a disrupted, nonfunctional allele led to no obvious phenotype, indicating that the gene is dispensable. The gene was assigned to chromosome XV. It is transcribed in vivo into an mRNA of about 1300 bases with a coding capacity for a protein of 312 amino acids (estimated Mr 35,000).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

R-spondin3 is required for mouse placental development.

Mouse R-spondin3 (Rspo3) is a member of the R-spondin protein family, which is characterized by furin-like cysteine-rich domains and a thrombospondin type 1 repeat. Rspo3 has been proposed to function as a secretory molecule that promotes the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. We generated mice bearing a mutant Rspo3 allele in which a lacZ-coding region replaced the coding region of the first exon. The homozygous mutant mice died at about embryonic day 10, due to impaired formation of the labyrinthine layer of the placenta. Rspo3 was expressed in the allantoic component of the labyrinth. In the homozygous mutant placentas, fetal blood vessels did not penetrate into the chorion, and expression of Gcm1, encoding the transcription factor glial cells missing-1 (Gcm1), was dramatically reduced in the chorionic trophoblast cells. These findings suggest a critical role for Rspo3 in the interaction between chorion and allantois in labyrinthine development.

Animals↗