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DNA diagnosis of neurofibromatosis 2. Altered coding sequence of the merlin tumor suppressor in an extended pedigree.

OBJECTIVE: To define the DNA mutation causing neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), a severe genetic disorder involving the development of multiple nervous system tumors in adulthood, in a large, well-studied NF2 pedigree previously used to chromosomally map and to isolate the disease gene. DESIGN: Single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequence analysis of the NF2 gene amplified from affected and unaffected family members. PARTICIPANTS: Affected, unaffected, and at-risk members of a large pedigree segregating NF2, an autosomal dominant disorder caused by inactivation of the merlin tumor suppressor encoded in chromosome band 22q12. RESULTS: A DNA alteration in the merlin coding sequence caused a shift on SSCP gels that was characteristic of the disease chromosome in this NF2 pedigree, being transmitted with the disorder, present only in affected members of the pedigree, absent in unaffected members of the family, and absent from 158 unrelated individuals. The alteration caused substitution of a tyrosine for an asparagine at position 220 of the merlin protein, in a region highly conserved in closely related members of the family of cytoskeletal-associated proteins. The DNA change could also be detected by restriction enzyme digestion with Rsa I. CONCLUSION: Current practice dictates screening of all those "at risk" for NF2 with magnetic resonance imaging, but the frequency and duration of screening are problematic because of the variable course of the disease. The identification of a DNA alteration in the NF2 gene will permit predictive molecular testing of individuals at risk in this specific family, sparing the expense and emotional burden of protracted screening programs. This information, by providing diagnostic certainty, should also reduce psychological and financial burdens and improve medical care for affected family members. A similar approach to defining the underlying lesion and developing a predictive test is applicable in any documented NF2 family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of six mutations in exon 37 of neurofibromatosis type 1 gene.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common inherited disorders, with an incidence of 1 in 3,000. We screened a total of 320 unrelated NF1 patients for mutations in exon 37 of the NF1 gene. Six independent mutations were identified, of which three are novel, and these include a recurrent nonsense mutation identified in 2 unrelated patients at codon 2281 (G2281X), a 1-bp insertion (6791 ins A) resulting in a change of TAG (tyrosine) to a TAA (stop codon), and a 3-bp deletion (6839 del TAC) which generated a frameshift. Another recurrent nonsense mutation, Y2264X, which was detected in 2 unrelated patients in this study, was also previously reported in 2 NF1 individuals. All the mutations were identified within a contiguous 49-bp sequence. Further studies are warranted to support the notion that this region of the gene contains highly mutable sequences.

Adult↗

Phenotypic variability in monozygotic twins with neurofibromatosis 2.

Mutations in the neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 22q12 cause a clinically variable autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VSs), other nervous system tumors, and early onset lenticular cataracts. We studied three pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins with NF2, all with bilateral VSs, to separate genetic from nongenetic causes of clinical variability. The evaluation included gadolinium-enhanced high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of the head and spine, neuro-ophthalmic examination with slit lamp, physical examination, and zygosity testing with microsatellite markers. Each MZ pair was concordant for general phenotypic subtype (mild or severe) and often for the affected organ systems. However, the MZ pairs were discordant for some features of disease presentation or progression. For example, all three pairs were discordant for presence or type of associated cranial tumors. We hypothesize that phenotypic differences between NF2 MZ twins are at least partly due to stochastic processes, such as the loss of the second NF2 allele or alleles of other genes.

Adult↗

Familial neurofibromatosis 1 microdeletions: cosegregation with distinct facial phenotype and early onset of cutaneous neurofibromata.

A notable subset of the recent literature on the disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) describes patients with NF1, facial anomalies, and other unusual findings. We describe a molecular re-evaluation of two such families reported previously by Kaplan and Rosenblatt [1985], who suggested that their NF1 manifestations, facial phenotype, and other findings could result from a disorder distinct from NF1. Submicroscopic deletions involving the NF1 gene were identified in both families by fluorescent in situ hybridization and analysis of somatic cell hybrids. Affected subjects of the first family were heterozygous for a microdeletion of approximately 2 Mb, which included the entire NF1 gene and flanking contiguous sequences. The family was remarkable for cosegregation of the NF1 microdeletion with facial abnormalities and a pattern of early onset of cutaneous neurofibromata upon transmission from an affected mother to her three affected children. The propositus of the second family carried a deletion that at the least involved NF1 exon 2 through intron 27, which is > 200 kilobases in length. Because all persons in the family were deceased, the size of the deletion could not be determined precisely. Facial anomalies were observed in the propositus and his NF1-affected mother and sister. The data from these families support our hypothesis, which was initially based solely on sporadic deletion cases, that deletion of the entire NF1 gene, or in conjunction with deletion of unknown contiguous genes, causes the facial anomalies and early onset of neurofibromata observed in this subset of NF1 patients. In addition, other features observed in the persons in these families suggest that some NF1 microdeletion patients may be at increased risk for connective tissue abnormalities and/or neoplasms.

Adolescent↗

Recurrent NF1 gene mutation in a patient with oligosymptomatic neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

We report a 21-year-old male with symptomatic optic glioma who does not fulfill the diagnosis of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) according to standard NIH criteria. Analysis of the NF1 gene revealed a recurrent mutation in exon 37 (C6792A or Y2264X). This nonsense mutation causes skipping of exon 37 during the splicing process and is predicted to result in a protein shortened by 34 amino acid residues. The mutation was detected in all tissues examined (blood lymphocytes, oral mucosa, and dermal fibroblasts). The same mutation was previously found in 3 patients with clinically confirmed NF1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an adult patient carrying a putative (non-mosaic) NF1 gene mutation in multiple tissues but not fulfilling the NIH criteria for the clinical diagnosis of NF1.

Adult↗

p53 mutation as the second event in juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1.

BACKGROUND: Young patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are at increased risk of developing various malignancies, most of which are myeloid disorders. The observed loss of NF1 allele in the myeloid malignancies of NF1 patients suggests a role of NF1 as a tumor suppressor gene. Loss of 17p was found to be quite frequent in neural crest tumors from patients with NF1, raising the possibility of p53 tumor suppressor gene involvement in other NF1-related tumors. METHODS: The authors studied mutations in the NF1 and p53 genes, using loss of heterozygosity, single strand conformation polymorphism, heteroduplex and sequencing analyses. RESULTS: An NF1 germline mutation was identified in exon 31 of a child who developed juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia (JCML). The mutation was segregated within the proband's family. A 14bp deletion at exon 6 of the p53 gene was observed when JCML was diagnosed, and the wild-type p53 allele was lost during progression of the disease. No loss of the normal NF1 allele could be detected. CONCLUSIONS: A germline mutation in the NF1 gene and sequential inactivation of p53 alleles in the malignant clone of JCML raise the possibility of a correlation between NF1 and p53 genes in the tumorigenesis of JCML.

Child, Preschool↗

Neurofibromatosis type I gene mutation in a patient with features of LEOPARD syndrome.

Multiple lentigines (LEOPARD) syndrome has been delineated as an autosomal dominant disorder with lentigines, cardiac abnormalities, variable mental retardation, and typical craniofacial features as the most characteristic findings. LEOPARD syndrome shows a great clinical overlap with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). In this report we describe a de novo missense mutation (M 1035R) in exon 18 of the NF1 gene in a young woman with a prior diagnosis of LEOPARD syndrome. We hypothesize that some patients now diagnosed with LEOPARD syndrome have in fact a mutation in the NF1 gene, whereas in other patients with LEOPARD syndrome, a different gene might be involved.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Example of somatic mosaicism in a series of de novo neurofibromatosis type 1 cases due to a maternally derived deletion.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), affecting primarily the growth of neural crest-derived tissues, is one of the most common autosomal dominant genetic disorders with an unusually high spontaneous mutation rate. In four cases of sporadic NF1, demonstrated by hemizygosity to have a deletion involving the NF1 gene, we were able to assign the deletion event to the maternally derived chromosome. One of these individuals was determined to be a somatic mosaic for NF1, as a trace of the maternally derived haplotype was detected at the NF1 locus. This indicated a postzygotic, as opposed to gametic, deletion event. It may be that somatic mosaicism is more common in NF1 than has hitherto been appreciated and may be responsible in part for the high mutation rate in this disorder. In addition, it is suggested that the mechanism(s) of gene deletion is subject to a parent of origin effect, being more frequent on the maternally derived chromosome. This is in contrast to the other types of mutations which, in sporadic NF1, have been found to occur preferentially on the paternally derived chromosome.

Adult↗

A novel mutation (V191G) in a German-British type 1 Gaucher disease patient. Mutations in brief no. 131. Online.

Gaucher disease results from mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene located on human chromosome 1q21. Three clinical forms of Gaucher disease have been described: type 1, nonneuropathic; type 2, acute neuropathic; and type 3, subacute neuropathic. We have identified a novel mutation in a German-British patient with type 1 Gaucher disease which results in V191G of the glucocerebrosidase polypeptide. Because the mutation abolishes a HphI cleavage site, its presence was confirmed by HphI RFLP analysis of PCR-amplified genomic DNA. In the second allele of the patient, the mutation identified was g.5841A G(N370S). Sequence analysis of the remainder of the coding region of the gene as well as the exon-intron boundaries showed identity to normal controls. Because mutation N370S has so far been found only in type 1 Gaucher disease and postulated to result in mild clinical presentation, and since the clinical course of this patient has been relatively mild with minimal skeletal involvement, we speculate that the V191G/N370S genotype may also result in good prognosis.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1↗

Molecular studies in 20 submicroscopic neurofibromatosis type 1 gene deletions.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant disorder characterized by a marked variability in expression. A more severe phenotype is frequently observed in the group of patients carrying a large NF1 deletion. To study the extent of the microdeletion in these NF1 patients, we generated a partial physical map of the NF1 flanking region. We describe seven PACs and three new polymorphic dinucleotide repeats located outside the NF1 gene and analyzed 20 unrelated individuals with an NF1 microdeletion in a collaborative study. We detected one individual with a substantially smaller deletion including only the NF1 gene and its three embedded genes. In the other 19 patients, the deletion extended at least 1 Mb. The parental origin of the deletion was determined in 15 individuals and was maternal in 13 and paternal in two cases. The new molecular tools described here can be used to unequivocally diagnose a possible extragenic extension of an NF1 deletion.

Base Sequence↗

NF1 gene analysis focused on CpG-rich exons in a cohort of 93 patients with neurofibromatosis type 1.

We studied the NF1 gene in 93 unrelated patients with neurofibromatosis type1, focusing the analysis on four exons that contain the highest number of possible mutations occurring at CpG sites. We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to analyse exons 16, 28, 29 and 49, which contain 45 (25%) of the 183 possible mutations that could occur at the 120 CpG dinucleotides of the coding sequence. Six different mutations were identified, five of which are novel: two truncating mutations, W1810X and 5448insG, located in exon29; two splice defects leading to exon29 skipping, 5206-2A>G and 5546G>A; and one missense mutation, L844F, located in exon16. The already described R1748X mutation located in exon29 was found in two unrelated patients. The 5546G>A and R1748X mutations are located at CpG sites, whereas the W1810X involves a CpNpG site. Four novel polymorphisms, which may be helpful for family studies, were also identified. Overall, all but one mutations were found in exon29, a result which suggests that all the CpG sites of the NF1 coding sequence do not have the same mutability, and that exon29, the most CpG-rich exon, contains mutational hotspots associated with NF1.

Adolescent↗

Constitutional translocation t(4;22) (q12;q12.2) associated with neurofibromatosis type 2.

We report on a female patient with bilateral acoustic neurinomas and other tumors in the central nervous system (neurofibromatosis type 2: NF2) and the constitutional translocation, t(4;22) (q12;q12.2). The precise identification of the translocation breakpoint (q12.2) on chromosome 22 implies the refined localization of a gene responsible for NF2, and would provide a clue to its molecular characterization and to the isolation of the gene. Chromosomes of a paraspinal neurinoma from the patient were also analyzed, and the same karyotype as seen in cultured peripheral lymphocytes was found. The patient's father was also a carrier of the translocation, but he had no clinical symptoms of NF2, nor did other relatives. Several explanations are offered for the different expression of the translocation between the patient and her father.

Adult↗

Neurofibromatosis type I (NFI) in Israeli families: linkage analysis as a diagnostic tool.

Linkage analysis of 18 neurofibromatosis type I (NFI) families was performed using intragenic and flanking polymorphic markers. The aims of the analysis were prenatal diagnosis of at-risk fetuses, and of asymptomatic individuals who were relatives of NFI patients. Prenatal diagnosis was performed in 9 pregnancies of 7 families; 5 fetuses were diagnosed as affected. In 6 families with an affected spouse, the request was to identify informative polymorphisms to be used in future pregnancies. Presymptomatic diagnosis was performed in 4 families. One individual, a brother of an NFI patient, was found to have Lisch nodules as the only NFI symptom. Linkage analysis indicated that if this person is a carrier of the NFI gene, he must be a product of intragenic crossover. In 2 individuals with a new NFI mutation, the origin of the NFI-bearing chromosomes was paternal. The same observation was noted by others. A summary of published cases shows that some 90% of the NFI-bearing chromosomes of patients with new mutations were of paternal origin. We therefore suggest that for the purpose of prenatal diagnosis in carriers of NFI new (and unidentified) mutations, the paternal chromosome will be considered as the NFI-bearing chromosome.

Alleles↗

Functional analysis of polymorphic variation within the promoter and 5' untranslated region of the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene.

The regulatory regions of the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene have scarcely been screened either for mutations of potential pathological importance or for functional polymorphisms. To address this question, a 987 bp sequence spanning the promoter and 5' flanking sequence of the human NF1 gene was screened for sequence variants in 570 unrelated NF1 patients and 105 controls. Five novel sequence variants were identified, comprising a 14 bp deletion at -142 within the promoter region, three single nucleotide substitutions in the 5'UTR (C + 247T, C + 261G, G + 462C), and a substitution (C + 514T) at the 5' end of the coding region that served to generate a Stop codon. The latter is likely to be of pathological significance since it is predicted to lead to the synthesis of a truncated protein. The functional significance of three of the other variants (14 bp del, C + 261G, G + 462C) was explored by luciferase reporter gene expression and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The del14 variant demonstrated allele-specific protein binding without altered reporter gene expression and the G + 462C allele showed slightly decreased reporter gene expression.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

A point mutation associated with a severe phenotype of neurofibromatosis 2.

Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by bilateral vestibular schwannomas and other nonmalignant tumors of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Although the average age of onset of NF2 is 20 years, some individuals may become symptomatic in childhood. We studied 5 unrelated NF2 patients who became symptomatic before age 13. All 5 had multiple tumors in addition to vestibular schwannoma, and none had a positive family history. Sequence analysis of the NF2 gene revealed identical nonsense mutation of exon 6 in 3 patients. Because this mutation destroys a restriction enzyme recognition site, genomic DNA from the 2 other children was directly tested for this change and identical alterations were detected. Although the work of our laboratory and others has not, in general, detected identical mutations in unrelated patients, this mutation seems to occur particularly frequently in the pediatric population and thus may be associated with an especially severe phenotype. Restriction analysis in children with NF2 may be a cost effective way of identifying their mutation. Further work is needed to characterize the effects of this change on the NF2 protein product and its relationship to this severe phenotype.

Adolescent↗

Loss of NF1 alleles in phaeochromocytomas from patients with type I neurofibromatosis.

Type I neurofibromatosis (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant disorder that affects tissues derived from the neural crest. The manifestations are varied, comprising generalised disorders of growth and development as well as an increased risk of benign and malignant tumours including phaeochromocytomas and neurofibrosarcomas. The NF1 locus has been mapped to chromosome bands 17q11-12, and recently the NF1 gene has been cloned. Deletions identified in the constitutional genotype of some patients have suggested that the NF1 phenotype may arise from loss of function mutations of the NF1 gene, consistent with the hypothesis that it is a tumour suppressor gene. To date, however, analysis of NF1 tumours has not revealed the frequent allele losses encompassing the NF1 locus, implying loss of the wild-type NF1 allele, which would support this hypothesis. We report allele losses with markers flanking the NF1 region in each of 7 NF1 phaeochromocytomas. In each of the 3 tumours for which this could be determined, the loss involved the wild-type chromosome. These results provide strong evidence that, in cells of the adrenal medulla at least, the NFI gene may act as a tumour suppressor.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Intrafamilial correlation of clinical manifestations in neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2).

Measuring correlation in clinical traits among relatives is important to our understanding of the causes of variable expressivity in Mendelian diseases. Random effects models are widely used to estimate intrafamilial correlations, but such models have limitations. We incorporated survival techniques into a random effects model so that it can be used to estimate intrafamilial correlations in continuous variables with right censoring, such as age at onset. We also describe a negative-binomial gamma mixture model to determine intrafamilial correlations of discrete (e.g., count) data. We demonstrate the utility of these methods by analyzing intrafamilial correlations among patients with neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), an autosomal-dominant disease caused by mutations of the NF2 tumor-suppressor gene. We estimated intrafamilial correlations in age at first symptom of NF2, age at onset of hearing loss, and number of intracranial meningiomas in 390 NF2 nonprobands from 153 unrelated families. A significant intrafamilial correlation was observed for each of the three features: age at onset (0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23-0.47), age at onset of hearing loss (0.51; 95% CI, 0.35-0.64), and number of meninginomas (0.29; 95% CI, 0.15-0.43). Significant correlations were also observed for age at first symptom within NF2 families with truncating mutations (0.41; 95% CI, 0.06-0.68) or splice-site mutations (0.29; 95% CI, 0.03-0.51), for age at onset of hearing loss within families with missense mutations (0.67; 95% CI, 0.18-0.89), and for number of meningiomas within families with splice-site mutations (0.39; 95% CI, 0.13-0.66). Our findings are consistent with effects of both allelic and nonallelic familial factors on the clinical variability of NF2.

Adolescent↗

Neurofibromatosis type 2 and von Hippel-Lindau disease: from gene cloning to function.

Most of the genes for hereditary tumor syndromes cloned thus far have subsequently been shown to be mutated not only in the germlines and tumors from patients with the relatively rare inherited disease, but also in the much more common sporadic tumor counterparts in the general population. Thus, the isolation and functional characterization of genes associated with hereditary tumor syndromes have emerged as a major strategy to gain insights into some of the most fundamental mechanisms of tumorigenesis. The search for the genes causing two hereditary tumor syndromes of the nervous system, neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL), has recently culminated in the cloning of both disease genes. This represents another successful application of the so-called positional cloning approach, i.e., the isolation of a hereditary disease gene with unknown function, based on the determination of its chromosomal location in the human genome. The gene for NF2, a syndrome typically associated with vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas, is homologous with a family of genes whose members appear to play an important role in bridging the cell membrane with the intracellular cytoskeleton, including moesin, ezrin, radixin, and protein 4.1. Recent mutation analyses have revealed that the NF2 tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated not only in vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas from NF2 patients, but also in their sporadic counterparts, which represent approximately one-third of all human brain tumors. Furthermore, malignant human tumors seemingly unrelated to the NF2 syndrome, such as neural crest-derived malignant melanomas, as well as malignant mesotheliomas (a pleural mesoderm-derived tumor), have also been found to be frequently mutated or deleted in the NF2 locus, suggesting a broader role for the NF2 gene in the initiation and progression of human neoplasms. VHL is a rare tumor syndrome characterized by certain types of nervous system tumors (cerebellar and spinal hemangioblastomas as well as retinal angiomas), in conjunction with bilateral renal cell carcinomas and pheochromocytomas. Similar to NF2, recent genetic mutation studies have revealed that the VHL tumor suppressor gene is not only mutated in the hereditary tumors from VHL patients, but also in their sporadic counterparts. Importantly, the VHL gene represents the most frequently mutated cancer-related gene thus far identified in sporadic renal cell carcinoma. In contrast to most other hereditary cancer syndromes, however, VHL mutations are surprisingly specific for tumors typically associated with the VHL syndrome, and have not been detected in any other tumor type unrelated to VHL. The cloning and initial genetic characterization of the NF2 and VHL genes have now provided a rational basis for subsequent functional studies on the elucidation of the normal and tumor-associated cellular signaling pathways of these tumor suppressor genes.

Animals↗