The frequency of previously undetectable deletions involving 3' Exons of the PMS2 gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughn, Cecily P; Baker, Christine L; Samowitz, Wade S; Swensen, Jeffrey J

2013-01-01

Lynch syndrome is characterized by mutations in one of four mismatch repair genes, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2. Clinical mutation analysis of these genes includes sequencing of exonic regions and deletion/duplication analysis. However, detection of deletions and duplications in PMS2 has previously been confined to Exons 1-11 due to gene conversion between PMS2 and the pseudogene PMS2CL in the remaining 3' exons (Exons 12-15). We have recently described an MLPA-based method that permits detection of deletions of PMS2 Exons 12-15; however, the frequency of such deletions has not yet been determined. To address this question, we tested for 3' deletions in 58 samples that were reported to be negative for PMS2 mutations using previously available methods. All samples were from individuals whose tumors exhibited loss of PMS2 immunohistochemical staining without concomitant loss of MLH1 immunostaining. We identified seven samples in this cohort with deletions in the 3' region of PMS2, including three previously reported samples with deletions of Exons 13-15 (two samples) and Exons 14-15. Also detected were deletions of Exons 12-15, Exon 13, and Exon 14 (two samples). Breakpoint analysis of the intragenic deletions suggests they occurred through Alu-mediated recombination. Our results indicate that ∼12% of samples suspected of harboring a PMS2 mutation based on immunohistochemical staining, for which mutations have not yet been identified, would benefit from testing using the new methodology. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Amelioration of Myelofibrosis with Thrombocytopenia by a JAK1/2 Inhibitor, Ruxolitinib, in a Post-polycythemia Vera Myelofibrosis Patient with a JAK2 Exon 12 Mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Kazuhiko; Ueda, Koki; Sano, Takahiro; Ogawa, Kazuei; Ikezoe, Takayuki; Hashimoto, Yuko; Morishita, Soji; Komatsu, Norio; Ohto, Hitoshi; Takeishi, Yasuchika

2017-01-01

Less than 5% of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) show JAK2 exon 12 mutations. Although PV patients with JAK2 exon 12 mutations are known to develop post-PV myelofibrosis (MF) as well as PV with JAK2V617F, the role of JAK inhibitors in post-PV MF patients with JAK2 exon 12 mutations remains unknown. We describe how treatment with a JAK1/2 inhibitor, ruxolitinib, led to the rapid amelioration of marrow fibrosis, erythrocytosis and thrombocytopenia in a 77-year-old man with post-PV MF who carried a JAK2 exon 12 mutation (JAK2H538QK539L). This case suggests that ruxolitinib is a treatment option for post-PV MF in patients with thrombocytopenia or JAK2 exon 12 mutations.

ExonMiner: Web service for analysis of GeneChip Exon array data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imoto Seiya

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Some splicing isoform-specific transcriptional regulations are related to disease. Therefore, detection of disease specific splice variations is the first step for finding disease specific transcriptional regulations. Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST Array can measure exon-level expression profiles that are suitable to find differentially expressed exons in genome-wide scale. However, exon array produces massive datasets that are more than we can handle and analyze on personal computer. Results We have developed ExonMiner that is the first all-in-one web service for analysis of exon array data to detect transcripts that have significantly different splicing patterns in two cells, e.g. normal and cancer cells. ExonMiner can perform the following analyses: (1 data normalization, (2 statistical analysis based on two-way ANOVA, (3 finding transcripts with significantly different splice patterns, (4 efficient visualization based on heatmaps and barplots, and (5 meta-analysis to detect exon level biomarkers. We implemented ExonMiner on a supercomputer system in order to perform genome-wide analysis for more than 300,000 transcripts in exon array data, which has the potential to reveal the aberrant splice variations in cancer cells as exon level biomarkers. Conclusion ExonMiner is well suited for analysis of exon array data and does not require any installation of software except for internet browsers. What all users need to do is to access the ExonMiner URL http://ae.hgc.jp/exonminer. Users can analyze full dataset of exon array data within hours by high-level statistical analysis with sound theoretical basis that finds aberrant splice variants as biomarkers.

Identification of MSH2 inversion of exons 1-7 in clinical evaluation of families with suspected Lynch syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Mork, Maureen E; Rodriguez, Andrea; Taggart, Melissa W; Rodriguez-Bigas, Miguel A; Lynch, Patrick M; Bannon, Sarah A; You, Y Nancy; Vilar, Eduardo

2017-07-01

Traditional germline sequencing and deletion/duplication analysis does not detect Lynch syndrome-causing mutations in all individuals whose colorectal or endometrial tumors demonstrate mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency. Unique inversions and other rearrangements of the MMR genes have been reported in families with Lynch syndrome. In 2014, a recurrent inversion of MSH2 exons 1-7 was identified in five families suspected to have Lynch syndrome. We aimed to describe our clinical experience in identifying families with this specific inversion. Four probands whose Lynch syndrome-associated tumors demonstrated absence of MSH2/MSH6 staining and who had negative MMR germline testing were evaluated for the MSH2 inversion of exons 1-7, offered during initial genetic workup or upon routine clinical follow-up. All four probands tested positive for the MSH2 inversion. Proband cancer diagnoses included colon and endometrial adenocarcinoma and sebaceous adenoma. A variety of Lynch syndrome-associated cancers were reported in the family histories, although only one family met Amsterdam II criteria. Thirteen at-risk relatives underwent predictive testing. MSH2 inversion of exons 1-7 was found in four probands previously suspected to have Lynch syndrome based on family history and tumor testing. This testing should be offered routinely to patients with tumors demonstrating loss of MSH2/MSH6 staining.

Low frequency variants in the exons only encoding isoform A of HNF1A do not contribute to susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bahram Jafar-Mohammadi

2009-08-01

Full Text Available There is considerable interest in the hypothesis that low frequency, intermediate penetrance variants contribute to the proportion of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D susceptibility not attributable to the common variants uncovered through genome-wide association approaches. Genes previously implicated in monogenic and multifactorial forms of diabetes are obvious candidates in this respect. In this study, we focussed on exons 8-10 of the HNF1A gene since rare, penetrant mutations in these exons (which are only transcribed in selected HNF1A isoforms are associated with a later age of diagnosis of Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY than mutations in exons 1-7. The age of diagnosis in the subgroup of HNF1A-MODY individuals with exon 8-10 mutations overlaps with that of early multifactorial T2D, and we set out to test the hypothesis that these exons might also harbour low-frequency coding variants of intermediate penetrance that contribute to risk of multifactorial T2D.We performed targeted capillary resequencing of HNF1A exons 8-10 in 591 European T2D subjects enriched for genetic aetiology on the basis of an early age of diagnosis ( or =1 affected sibling. PCR products were sequenced and compared to the published HNF1A sequence. We identified several variants (rs735396 [IVS9-24T>C], rs1169304 [IVS8+29T>C], c.1768+44C>T [IVS9+44C>T] and rs61953349 [c.1545G>A, p.T515T] but no novel non-synonymous coding variants were detected.We conclude that low frequency, nonsynonymous coding variants in the terminal exons of HNF1A are unlikely to contribute to T2D-susceptibility in European samples. Nevertheless, the rationale for seeking low-frequency causal variants in genes known to contain rare, penetrant mutations remains strong and should motivate efforts to screen other genes in a similar fashion.

Targeted Exon Skipping to Correct Exon Duplications in the Dystrophin Gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kane L Greer

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe muscle-wasting disease caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene that ablate functional protein expression. Although exonic deletions are the most common Duchenne muscular dystrophy lesion, duplications account for 10–15% of reported disease-causing mutations, and exon 2 is the most commonly duplicated exon. Here, we describe the in vitro evaluation of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers coupled to a cell-penetrating peptide and 2′-O-methyl phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, using three distinct strategies to reframe the dystrophin transcript in patient cells carrying an exon 2 duplication. Differences in exon-skipping efficiencies in vitro were observed between oligomer analogues of the same sequence, with the phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer coupled to a cell-penetrating peptide proving the most effective. Differences in exon 2 excision efficiency between normal and exon 2 duplication cells, were apparent, indicating that exon context influences oligomer-induced splice switching. Skipping of a single copy of exon 2 was induced in the cells carrying an exon 2 duplication, the simplest strategy to restore the reading frame and generate a normal dystrophin transcript. In contrast, multiexon skipping of exons 2–7 to generate a Becker muscular dystrophy-like dystrophin transcript was more challenging and could only be induced efficiently with the phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer chemistry.

First report of a deletion encompassing an entire exon in the homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase gene causing alkaptonuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Zouheir Habbal, Mohammad; Bou-Assi, Tarek; Zhu, Jun; Owen, Renius; Chehab, Farid F

2014-01-01

Alkaptonuria is often diagnosed clinically with episodes of dark urine, biochemically by the accumulation of peripheral homogentisic acid and molecularly by the presence of mutations in the homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase gene (HGD). Alkaptonuria is invariably associated with HGD mutations, which consist of single nucleotide variants and small insertions/deletions. Surprisingly, the presence of deletions beyond a few nucleotides among over 150 reported deleterious mutations has not been described, raising the suspicion that this gene might be protected against the detrimental mechanisms of gene rearrangements. The quest for an HGD mutation in a proband with AKU revealed with a SNP array five large regions of homozygosity (5-16 Mb), one of which includes the HGD gene. A homozygous deletion of 649 bp deletion that encompasses the 72 nucleotides of exon 2 and surrounding DNA sequences in flanking introns of the HGD gene was unveiled in a proband with AKU. The nature of this deletion suggests that this in-frame deletion could generate a protein without exon 2. Thus, we modeled the tertiary structure of the mutant protein structure to determine the effect of exon 2 deletion. While the two β-pleated sheets encoded by exon 2 were missing in the mutant structure, other β-pleated sheets are largely unaffected by the deletion. However, nine novel α-helical coils substituted the eight coils present in the native HGD crystal structure. Thus, this deletion results in a deleterious enzyme, which is consistent with the proband's phenotype. Screening for mutations in the HGD gene, particularly in the Middle East, ought to include this exon 2 deletion in order to determine its frequency and uncover its origin.

First report of a deletion encompassing an entire exon in the homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase gene causing alkaptonuria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Zouheir Habbal

Full Text Available Alkaptonuria is often diagnosed clinically with episodes of dark urine, biochemically by the accumulation of peripheral homogentisic acid and molecularly by the presence of mutations in the homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase gene (HGD. Alkaptonuria is invariably associated with HGD mutations, which consist of single nucleotide variants and small insertions/deletions. Surprisingly, the presence of deletions beyond a few nucleotides among over 150 reported deleterious mutations has not been described, raising the suspicion that this gene might be protected against the detrimental mechanisms of gene rearrangements. The quest for an HGD mutation in a proband with AKU revealed with a SNP array five large regions of homozygosity (5-16 Mb, one of which includes the HGD gene. A homozygous deletion of 649 bp deletion that encompasses the 72 nucleotides of exon 2 and surrounding DNA sequences in flanking introns of the HGD gene was unveiled in a proband with AKU. The nature of this deletion suggests that this in-frame deletion could generate a protein without exon 2. Thus, we modeled the tertiary structure of the mutant protein structure to determine the effect of exon 2 deletion. While the two β-pleated sheets encoded by exon 2 were missing in the mutant structure, other β-pleated sheets are largely unaffected by the deletion. However, nine novel α-helical coils substituted the eight coils present in the native HGD crystal structure. Thus, this deletion results in a deleterious enzyme, which is consistent with the proband's phenotype. Screening for mutations in the HGD gene, particularly in the Middle East, ought to include this exon 2 deletion in order to determine its frequency and uncover its origin.

Characterization of novel RS1 exonic deletions in juvenile X-linked retinoschisis.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Souza, Leera; Cukras, Catherine; Antolik, Christian; Craig, Candice; Lee, Ji-Yun; He, Hong; Li, Shibo; Smaoui, Nizar; Hejtmancik, James F; Sieving, Paul A; Wang, Xinjing

2013-01-01

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) is a vitreoretinal dystrophy characterized by schisis (splitting) of the inner layers of the neuroretina. Mutations within the retinoschisis (RS1) gene are responsible for this disease. The mutation spectrum consists of amino acid substitutions, splice site variations, small indels, and larger genomic deletions. Clinically, genomic deletions are rarely reported. Here, we characterize two novel full exonic deletions: one encompassing exon 1 and the other spanning exons 4-5 of the RS1 gene. We also report the clinical findings in these patients with XLRS with two different exonic deletions. Unrelated XLRS men and boys and their mothers (if available) were enrolled for molecular genetics evaluation. The patients also underwent ophthalmologic examination and in some cases electroretinogram (ERG) recording. All the exons and the flanking intronic regions of the RS1 gene were analyzed with direct sequencing. Two patients with exonic deletions were further evaluated with array comparative genomic hybridization to define the scope of the genomic aberrations. After the deleted genomic region was identified, primer walking followed by direct sequencing was used to determine the exact breakpoints. Two novel exonic deletions of the RS1 gene were identified: one including exon 1 and the other spanning exons 4 and 5. The exon 1 deletion extends from the 5' region of the RS1 gene (including the promoter) through intron 1 (c.(-35)-1723_c.51+2664del4472). The exon 4-5 deletion spans introns 3 to intron 5 (c.185-1020_c.522+1844del5764). Here we report two novel exonic deletions within the RS1 gene locus. We have also described the clinical presentations and hypothesized the genomic mechanisms underlying these schisis phenotypes.

H2B ubiquitylation is part of chromatin architecture that marks exon-intron structure in budding yeast

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shieh, Grace S.

2011-12-22

Abstract Background The packaging of DNA into chromatin regulates transcription from initiation through 3\\' end processing. One aspect of transcription in which chromatin plays a poorly understood role is the co-transcriptional splicing of pre-mRNA. Results Here we provide evidence that H2B monoubiquitylation (H2BK123ub1) marks introns in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A genome-wide map of H2BK123ub1 in this organism reveals that this modification is enriched in coding regions and that its levels peak at the transcribed regions of two characteristic subgroups of genes. First, long genes are more likely to have higher levels of H2BK123ub1, correlating with the postulated role of this modification in preventing cryptic transcription initiation in ORFs. Second, genes that are highly transcribed also have high levels of H2BK123ub1, including the ribosomal protein genes, which comprise the majority of intron-containing genes in yeast. H2BK123ub1 is also a feature of introns in the yeast genome, and the disruption of this modification alters the intragenic distribution of H3 trimethylation on lysine 36 (H3K36me3), which functionally correlates with alternative RNA splicing in humans. In addition, the deletion of genes encoding the U2 snRNP subunits, Lea1 or Msl1, in combination with an htb-K123R mutation, leads to synthetic lethality. Conclusion These data suggest that H2BK123ub1 facilitates cross talk between chromatin and pre-mRNA splicing by modulating the distribution of intronic and exonic histone modifications.

H2B ubiquitylation is part of chromatin architecture that marks exon-intron structure in budding yeast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shieh Grace S

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The packaging of DNA into chromatin regulates transcription from initiation through 3' end processing. One aspect of transcription in which chromatin plays a poorly understood role is the co-transcriptional splicing of pre-mRNA. Results Here we provide evidence that H2B monoubiquitylation (H2BK123ub1 marks introns in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A genome-wide map of H2BK123ub1 in this organism reveals that this modification is enriched in coding regions and that its levels peak at the transcribed regions of two characteristic subgroups of genes. First, long genes are more likely to have higher levels of H2BK123ub1, correlating with the postulated role of this modification in preventing cryptic transcription initiation in ORFs. Second, genes that are highly transcribed also have high levels of H2BK123ub1, including the ribosomal protein genes, which comprise the majority of intron-containing genes in yeast. H2BK123ub1 is also a feature of introns in the yeast genome, and the disruption of this modification alters the intragenic distribution of H3 trimethylation on lysine 36 (H3K36me3, which functionally correlates with alternative RNA splicing in humans. In addition, the deletion of genes encoding the U2 snRNP subunits, Lea1 or Msl1, in combination with an htb-K123R mutation, leads to synthetic lethality. Conclusion These data suggest that H2BK123ub1 facilitates cross talk between chromatin and pre-mRNA splicing by modulating the distribution of intronic and exonic histone modifications.

[JAK2 V617F and exon 12 genetic variations in Korean patients with BCR/ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms].

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jeong Tae; Cho, Yong Gon; Choi, Sam Im; Lee, Young Jin; Kim, Hye Ran; Jang, Sook Jin; Moon, Dae Soo; Park, Young Jin; Park, Geon

2010-12-01

JAK2 genetic variations have been described in a high proportion of patients with BCR/ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). This study was designed to analyze the frequencies of JAK2 V617F and exon 12 variations, and their correlations with clinical characteristics of Korean patients with BCR/ABL1-negative MPN. We examined a total of 154 patients with BCR/ABL1-negative MPN that included 24, 26, 89, and 15 patients with polycythemia vera (PV), primary myelofibrosis (PMF), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and unclassified myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNU), respectively. We performed allele-specific PCR to detect V617F in all BCR/ABL1-negative patients, and performed direct sequencing to detect exon 12 variations in 47 V617F-negative MPN patients. JAK2 c.1641+179_183del5 variation was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism assay in 176 healthy subjects. JAK2 V617F was detected in 91 patients (59.1%): PV (91.6%), PMF (46.2%), ET (52.8%), and MPNU (66.7%). In V617F-negative MPN patients, no mutations were found in exon 12. The c.1641+179_183del5 was detected in 68.1% of V617F-negative MPN patients and 45.4% of healthy subjects (P=0.008). JAK2 V617F was closely correlated with age and leukocytosis in BCR/ABL1-negative MPN patients (P<0.05). However, c.1641+179_183del5 was not related to age, sex, or complete blood cell count parameters in V617F-negative MPN patients and healthy subjects. The c.1641+179_183del5 was associated with an increased odds ratio for MPN (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidences interval, 1.3-5.1; P=0.007). Frequencies of V617F are similar to reported results. JAK2 exon 12 mutations may be rare and c.1641+179_183del5 may influence the occurrence of MPN in Korean patients with V6 17F-negative MPN.

JAK2 Exon 12 Mutations in Polycythemia Vera and Idiopathic Erythrocytosis

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Linda M.; Tong, Wei; Levine, Ross L.; Scott, Mike A.; Beer, Philip A.; Stratton, Michael R.; Futreal, P. Andrew; Erber, Wendy N.; McMullin, Mary Frances; Harrison, Claire N.; Warren, Alan J.; Gilliland, D. Gary; Lodish, Harvey F.; Green, Anthony R.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND The V617F mutation, which causes the substitution of phenylalanine for valine at position 617 of the Janus kinase (JAK) 2 gene (JAK2), is often present in patients with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and idiopathic myelofibrosis. However, the molecular basis of these myeloproliferative disorders in patients without the V617F mutation is unclear. METHODS We searched for new mutations in members of the JAK and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) gene families in patients with V617F-negative polycythemia vera or idiopathic erythrocytosis. The mutations were characterized biochemically and in a murine model of bone marrow transplantation. RESULTS We identified four somatic gain-of-function mutations affecting JAK2 exon 12 in 10 V617F-negative patients. Those with a JAK2 exon 12 mutation presented with an isolated erythrocytosis and distinctive bone marrow morphology, and several also had reduced serum erythropoietin levels. Erythroid colonies could be grown from their blood samples in the absence of exogenous erythropoietin. All such erythroid colonies were heterozygous for the mutation, whereas colonies homozygous for the mutation occur in most patients with V617F-positive polycythemia vera. BaF3 cells expressing the murine erythropoietin receptor and also carrying exon 12 mutations could proliferate without added interleukin-3. They also exhibited increased phosphorylation of JAK2 and extracellular regulated kinase 1 and 2, as compared with cells transduced by wild-type JAK2 or V617F JAK2. Three of the exon 12 mutations included a substitution of leucine for lysine at position 539 of JAK2. This mutation resulted in a myeloproliferative phenotype, including erythrocytosis, in a murine model of retroviral bone marrow transplantation. CONCLUSIONS JAK2 exon 12 mutations define a distinctive myeloproliferative syndrome that affects patients who currently receive a diagnosis of polycythemia vera or idiopathic erythrocytosis

Genetic variants in the exon region of versican predict survival of patients with resected early-stage hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu X

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Xiaoguang Liu,* Chuangye Han,* Xiwen Liao, Long Yu, Guangzhi Zhu, Hao Su, Wei Qin, Sicong Lu, Xinping Ye, Tao Peng Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: The upregulated expression of versican (VCAN promotes the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of various types of human cancer cells, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC cells. Patients and methods: In this study, genetic variants in the exon region of VCAN were genotyped by DNA sequencing. Prognostic values of VCAN exon single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were assessed by Kaplan–Meier with the log-rank test, and uni- and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: A total of 111 patients with resected hepatitis B virus-associated early-stage HCC were collected for genotyping VCAN exon SNPs using Sanger DNA sequencing. Haplotype analysis was performed using Haploview 4.2. Survival data were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The rs2652098, rs309559, rs188703, rs160278, and rs160277 SNPs were significantly associated with overall patient survival (p<0.001, p=0.012, p=0.010, p=0.007, and p=0.007, respectively. Patients carrying the TAGTG haplotype had a poorer prognosis than those with the most common CGAAT haplotype, after adjusting for tumor size, tumor capsule, and regional invasion (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] =2.06, 95% CI: 1.27–3.34, p=0.003. Meanwhile, patients with the TAGTG haplotype and a larger tumor size or an incomplete tumor capsule had an increased risk of death, compared with the others (adjusted HR =3.00, 95% CI: 1.67–5.36, p<0.001; and adjusted HR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.12–3.55, p = 0.02, respectively. The online database mining analysis showed that upregulated VCAN expression in HCC tissues was associated with a poor overall

Mutations in the nervous system--specific HSN2 exon of WNK1 cause hereditary sensory neuropathy type II.

Science.gov (United States)

Shekarabi, Masoud; Girard, Nathalie; Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Dion, Patrick; Houle, Martin; Toulouse, André; Lafrenière, Ronald G; Vercauteren, Freya; Hince, Pascale; Laganiere, Janet; Rochefort, Daniel; Faivre, Laurence; Samuels, Mark; Rouleau, Guy A

2008-07-01

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II (HSANII) is an early-onset autosomal recessive disorder characterized by loss of perception to pain, touch, and heat due to a loss of peripheral sensory nerves. Mutations in hereditary sensory neuropathy type II (HSN2), a single-exon ORF originally identified in affected families in Quebec and Newfoundland, Canada, were found to cause HSANII. We report here that HSN2 is a nervous system-specific exon of the with-no-lysine(K)-1 (WNK1) gene. WNK1 mutations have previously been reported to cause pseudohypoaldosteronism type II but have not been studied in the nervous system. Given the high degree of conservation of WNK1 between mice and humans, we characterized the structure and expression patterns of this isoform in mice. Immunodetections indicated that this Wnk1/Hsn2 isoform was expressed in sensory components of the peripheral nervous system and CNS associated with relaying sensory and nociceptive signals, including satellite cells, Schwann cells, and sensory neurons. We also demonstrate that the novel protein product of Wnk1/Hsn2 was more abundant in sensory neurons than motor neurons. The characteristics of WNK1/HSN2 point to a possible role for this gene in the peripheral sensory perception deficits characterizing HSANII.

Mutations in the nervous system–specific HSN2 exon of WNK1 cause hereditary sensory neuropathy type II

Science.gov (United States)

Shekarabi, Masoud; Girard, Nathalie; Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Dion, Patrick; Houle, Martin; Toulouse, André; Lafrenière, Ronald G.; Vercauteren, Freya; Hince, Pascale; Laganiere, Janet; Rochefort, Daniel; Faivre, Laurence; Samuels, Mark; Rouleau, Guy A.

2008-01-01

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II (HSANII) is an early-onset autosomal recessive disorder characterized by loss of perception to pain, touch, and heat due to a loss of peripheral sensory nerves. Mutations in hereditary sensory neuropathy type II (HSN2), a single-exon ORF originally identified in affected families in Quebec and Newfoundland, Canada, were found to cause HSANII. We report here that HSN2 is a nervous system–specific exon of the with-no-lysine(K)–1 (WNK1) gene. WNK1 mutations have previously been reported to cause pseudohypoaldosteronism type II but have not been studied in the nervous system. Given the high degree of conservation of WNK1 between mice and humans, we characterized the structure and expression patterns of this isoform in mice. Immunodetections indicated that this Wnk1/Hsn2 isoform was expressed in sensory components of the peripheral nervous system and CNS associated with relaying sensory and nociceptive signals, including satellite cells, Schwann cells, and sensory neurons. We also demonstrate that the novel protein product of Wnk1/Hsn2 was more abundant in sensory neurons than motor neurons. The characteristics of WNK1/HSN2 point to a possible role for this gene in the peripheral sensory perception deficits characterizing HSANII. PMID:18521183

Ascorbic acid transported by sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 2 stimulates steroidogenesis in human choriocarcinoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ximei; Iguchi, Takuma; Itoh, Norio; Okamoto, Kousuke; Takagi, Tatsuya; Tanaka, Keiichi; Nakanishi, Tsuyoshi

2008-01-01

Reduced vitamin C [ascorbic acid (AA)], which is taken up into cells by sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT) 1 and 2, is believed to be important for hormone synthesis, but its role in generating placental steroids needed to maintain pregnancy and fetal development is not clear. To determine the steroidogenic effect of AA and the role of SVCT2 in AA-induced steroidogenesis, we tested the effects of AA treatment and SVCT2 knockdown on steroidogenesis in human choriocarcinoma cell lines. AA treatment of JEG-3, BeWo, and JAR cells for 48-h dose dependently increased progesterone and estradiol levels. In JEG-3 cells, AA increased the mRNA expression of P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, and aromatase, key enzymes for steroidogenesis. Stable knockdown of SVCT2 in JEG-3 cells by retrovirally mediated RNA interference decreased the maximal velocity of AA uptake by approximately 50%, but apparent affinity values were not affected. SVCT2 knockdown in JEG-3 cells significantly suppressed the AA-induced mRNA expression of placental P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, and aromatase. This suppression of the AA-induced mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes subsequently decreased progesterone and estradiol production. In addition, inhibition of MAPK kinase-ERK signaling, which is a major pathway for AA-regulated gene expression, failed to affect AA-induced steroidogenesis. Our observations indicate that SVCT2-mediated AA uptake into cells is necessary for AA-induced steroidogenesis in human choriocarcinoma cell, but MAPK kinase-ERK signaling is not involved in AA-induced steroidogenesis.

Association of Exon 10A and 10B inactivating mutation of follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene (FSHR) and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Vellore cohort

Science.gov (United States)

Sekar, Nishu; Kulkarni, Rucha; Ozalkar, Sharvari; Prabhu, Yogamaya D.; Renu, Kaviyarasi; Ramgir, Shalaka S.; Abilash, V. G.

2017-11-01

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common heterogenous endocrine disorder in women. Follicle stimulating hormone receptor is associated with normal development as well as maturation of follicles and triggers estrogen production in granulosa cells of the ovary. Inactivating mutation in FSHR gene correlated with reduction of ovarian function in women is due to damage to receptor function. This study aims to investigate whether inactivating mutations, in follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene is related to polycystic ovarian morphology in women with PCOS. Genomic DNA isolated from 15 subjects from Sandhya Hospital, Vellore (10 patients with PCOS and 5 healthy controls) was taken for this study. Patient data included a clinical report, hormonal levels, and ovarian morphological details. DNA isolation was followed by DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction using Exon 10 A and Exon 10 B primers. The PCR-RFLP analysis was performed using Dde1 restriction enzyme. Here we discuss inactivating mutation found in Exon 10 of FSHR gene in patients with PCOS.The absence of inactivating mutation was observed through PCR-RFLP study on Exon 10A and Exon 10B.

Identification of four novel HLA-B alleles, B*1590, B*1591, B*2726, and B*4705, from an East African population by high-resolution sequence-based typing.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, M; Mao, X; Plummer, F A

2005-02-01

We report here four novel HLA-B alleles, B*1590, B*1591, B*2726, and B*4705, identified from an East African population during sequence-based HLA-B typing. The novel alleles were confirmed by sequencing two separate polymerase chain reaction products, and by molecular cloning and sequencing multiple clones. B*1590 is identical to B*1510 at exon 2 and exon 3, except for a difference (GCCGTC) at codon 158. Sequence differences at codon 152 (GAGGTG) and codon 167 (TGGTCG) differentiate B*1591 from B*1503 at exon 3. B*2726 is identical to B*2708 at exon 2 and exon 3, except for a difference (AAGCAG) at codon 70. B*4705 was identified in three Kenyan women. The allele is identical to B*47010101/02 at exon 2 and exon 3, except for differences at codon 97 (AGGAAT) and codon 99 (TTTTAT). These new alleles have been named by the WHO Nomenclature Committee. Identification of these novel HLA-B alleles reflects the genetic diversity of this East African population.

Delineation of the Marfan phenotype associated with mutations in exons 23-32 of the FBN1 gene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Putnam, E.A.; Cho, M.; Milewicz, D.M. [Univ. of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, TX (United States)] [and others

1996-03-29

Marfan syndrome is a dominantly inherited connective tissue disorder with a wide range of phenotypic severity. The condition is the result of mutations in FBN1, a large gene composed of 65 exons encoding the fibrillin-1 protein. While mutations causing classic manifestations of Marfan syndrome have been identified throughout the FBN1 gene, the six previously characterized mutations resulting in the severe, perinatal lethal form of Marfan syndrome have clustered in exons 24-32 of the gene. We screened 8 patients with either neonatal Marfan syndrome or severe cardiovascular complications of Marfan syndrome for mutations in this region of the gene. Using intron-based exon-specific primers, we amplified exons 23-32 from genomic DNAs, screened these fragments by single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis, and sequenced indicated exons. This analysis documented mutations in exons 25-27 of the FBN1 mutations in 6 of these patients. These results, taken together with previously published FBN1 mutations in this region, further define the phenotype associated with mutations in exons 24-32 of the FBN1 gene, information important for the development of possible diagnostic tests and genetic counseling. 49 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Molecular effects of autoimmune-risk promoter polymorphisms on expression, exon choice, and translational efficiency of interferon regulatory factor 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Daniel N; Lambert, Jared P; Till, Rodney E; Argueta, Lissenya B; Greenhalgh, Kathryn E; Henrie, Brandon; Bills, Trieste; Hawkley, Tyson F; Roznik, Marinya G; Sloan, Jason M; Mayhew, Vera; Woodland, Loc; Nelson, Eric P; Tsai, Meng-Hsuan; Poole, Brian D

2014-05-01

The rs2004640 single nucleotide polymorphism and the CGGGG copy-number variant (rs77571059) are promoter polymorphisms within interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5). They have been implicated as susceptibility factors for several autoimmune diseases. IRF5 uses alternative promoter splicing, where any of 4 first exons begin the mRNA. The CGGGG indel is in exon 1A's promoter; the rs2004640 allele creates a splicing recognition site, enabling usage of exon 1B. This study aimed at characterizing alterations in IRF5 mRNA due to these polymorphisms. Cells with risk polymorphisms exhibited ~2-fold higher levels of IRF5 mRNA and protein, but demonstrated no change in mRNA stability. Quantitative PCR demonstrated decreased usage of exons 1C and 1D in cell lines with the risk polymorphisms. RNA folding analysis revealed a hairpin in exon 1B; mutational analysis showed that the hairpin shape decreased translation 5-fold. Although translation of mRNA that uses exon 1B is low due to a hairpin, increased IRF5 mRNA levels in individuals with the rs2004640 risk allele lead to higher overall protein expression. In addition, several new splice variants of IRF5 were sequenced. IRF5's promoter polymorphisms alter first exon usage and increase transcription levels. High levels of IRF5 may bias the immune system toward autoimmunity.

Exon sequence requirements for excision in vivo of the bacterial group II intron RmInt1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toro Nicolás

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Group II intron splicing proceeds through two sequential transesterification reactions in which the 5' and 3'-exons are joined together and the lariat intron is released. The intron-encoded protein (IEP assists the splicing of the intron in vivo and remains bound to the excised intron lariat RNA in a ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP that promotes intron mobility. Exon recognition occurs through base-pairing interactions between two guide sequences on the ribozyme domain dI known as EBS1 and EBS2 and two stretches of sequence known as IBS1 and IBS2 on the 5' exon, whereas the 3' exon is recognized through interaction with the sequence immediately upstream from EBS1 [(δ-δ' interaction (subgroup IIA] or with a nucleotide [(EBS3-IBS3 interaction (subgroup IIB and IIC] located in the coordination-loop of dI. The δ nucleotide is involved in base pairing with another intron residue (δ' in subgroup IIB introns and this interaction facilitates base pairing between the 5' exon and the intron. Results In this study, we investigated nucleotide requirements in the distal 5'- and 3' exon regions, EBS-IBS interactions and δ-δ' pairing for excision of the group IIB intron RmInt1 in vivo. We found that the EBS1-IBS1 interaction was required and sufficient for RmInt1 excision. In addition, we provide evidence for the occurrence of canonical δ-δ' pairing and its importance for the intron excision in vivo. Conclusions The excision in vivo of the RmInt1 intron is a favored process, with very few constraints for sequence recognition in both the 5' and 3'-exons. Our results contribute to understand how group II introns spread in nature, and might facilitate the use of RmInt1 in gene targeting.

Characterization of major histocompatibility complex (MHC DRB exon 2 and DRA exon 3 fragments in a primary terrestrial rabies vector (Procyon lotor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarrah Castillo

Full Text Available The major histocompatibility complex (MHC presents a unique system to explore links between genetic diversity and pathogens, as diversity within MHC is maintained in part by pathogen driven selection. While the majority of wildlife MHC studies have investigated species that are of conservation concern, here we characterize MHC variation in a common and broadly distributed species, the North American raccoon (Procyon lotor. Raccoons host an array of broadly distributed wildlife diseases (e.g., canine distemper, parvovirus and raccoon rabies virus and present important human health risks as they persist in high densities and in close proximity to humans and livestock. To further explore how genetic variation influences the spread and maintenance of disease in raccoons we characterized a fragment of MHC class II DRA exon 3 (250 bp and DRB exon 2 (228 bp. MHC DRA was found to be functionally monomorphic in the 32 individuals screened; whereas DRB exon 2 revealed 66 unique alleles among the 246 individuals screened. Between two and four alleles were observed in each individual suggesting we were amplifying a duplicated DRB locus. Nucleotide differences between DRB alleles ranged from 1 to 36 bp (0.4-15.8% divergence and translated into 1 to 21 (1.3-27.6% divergence amino acid differences. We detected a significant excess of nonsynonymous substitutions at the peptide binding region (P = 0.005, indicating that DRB exon 2 in raccoons has been influenced by positive selection. These data will form the basis of continued analyses into the spatial and temporal relationship of the raccoon rabies virus and the immunogenetic response in its primary host.

Optimized Exon-Exon Junction Library and its Application on Rodents' Brain Transcriptome Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tong-Hai Dou

2017-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background: Alternative splicing (AS, which plays an important role in gene expression and functional regulation, has been analyzed on genome-scale by various bioinformatic approaches based on RNA-seq data. Compared with the huge number of studies on mouse, the AS researches approaching the rat, whose genome is intermedia between mouse and human, were still limited. To enrich the knowledge on AS events in rodents' brain, we perfomed a comprehensive analysis on four transcriptome libraries (mouse cerebrum, mouse cerebellum, rat cerebrum, and rat cerebellum, recruiting high-throughput sequencing technology. An optimized exon-exon junction library approach was introduced to adapt the longer RNA-seq reads and to improve mapping efficiency. Results: In total, 7,106 mouse genes and 2,734 rat genes were differentially expressed between cerebrum and cerebellum, while 7,125 mouse genes and 1,795 rat genes exhibited varieties on transcript variant level. Only half of the differentially expressed exon-exon junctions could be reflected at gene expression level. Functional cluster analysis showed that 32 pathways in mouse and 9 pathways in rat were significantly enriched, and 6 of them were in both. Interestingly, some differentially expressed transcript variants did not show difference on gene expression level, such as PLCβ1 and Kcnma1. Conclusion: Our work provided a case study of a novel exon-exon junction strategy to analyze the expression of genes and isoforms, helping us understand which transcript contributes to the overall expression and further functional change.

Multi-exon deletions of the FBN1 gene in Marfan syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schrijver Iris

2001-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mutations in the fibrillin -1 gene (FBN1 cause Marfan syndrome (MFS, an autosomal dominant multi-system connective tissue disorder. The 200 different mutations reported in the 235 kb, 65 exon-containing gene include only one family with a genomic multi-exon deletion. Methods We used long-range RT-PCR for mutation detection and long-range genomic PCR and DNA sequencing for identification of deletion breakpoints, allele-specific transcript analyses to determine stability of the mutant RNA, and pulse-chase studies to quantitate fibrillin synthesis and extracellular matrix deposition in cultured fibroblasts. Southern blots of genomic DNA were probed with three overlapping fragments covering the FBN1 coding exons Results Two novel multi-exon FBN1 deletions were discovered. Identical nucleotide pentamers were found at or near the intronic breakpoints. In a Case with classic MFS, an in-frame deletion of exons 42 and 43 removed the C-terminal 24 amino acids of the 5th LTBP (8-cysteine domain and the adjacent 25th calcium-binding EGF-like (6-cysteine domain. The mutant mRNA was stable, but fibrillin synthesis and matrix deposition were significantly reduced. A Case with severe childhood-onset MFS has a de novo deletion of exons 44–46 that removed three EGF-like domains. Fibrillin protein synthesis was normal, but matrix deposition was strikingly reduced. No genomic rearrangements were detected by Southern analysis of 18 unrelated MFS samples negative for FBN1 mutation screening. Conclusions Two novel deletion cases expand knowledge of mutational mechanisms and genotype/phenotype correlations of fibrillinopathies. Deletions or mutations affecting an LTBP domain may result in unstable mutant protein cleavage products that interfere with microfibril assembly.

Exon sequencing of PKD1 gene in an Iranian patient with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Hafizi, Atousa; Khatami, Saeid Reza; Galehdari, Hamid; Shariati, Gholamreza; Saberi, Ali Hossein; Hamid, Mohammad

2014-07-01

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic kidney disorders with the incidence of 1 in 1,000 births. ADPKD is genetically heterogeneous with two genes identified: PKD1 (16p13.3, 46 exons) and PKD2 (4q21, 15 exons). Eighty five percent of the patients with ADPKD have at least one mutation in the PKD1 gene. Genetic studies have demonstrated an important allelic variability among patients, but very few data are known about the genetic variation among Iranian populations. In this study, exon direct sequencing of PKD1 was performed in a seven-year old boy with ADPKD and in his parents. The patient's father was ADPKD who was affected without any kidney dysfunction, and the patient's mother was congenitally missing one kidney. Molecular genetic testing found a mutation in all three members of this family. It was a missense mutation GTG>ATG at position 3057 in exon 25 of PKD1. On the other hand, two novel missense mutations were reported just in the 7-year-old boy: ACA>GCA found in exon 15 at codon 2241 and CAC>AAC found in exon 38 at codon 3710. For checking the pathogenicity of these mutations, exons 15, 25, and 38 of 50 unrelated normal cases were sequenced. our findings suggested that GTG>ATG is a polymorphism with high frequency (60%) as well as ACA>GCA and CAC>AAC are polymorphisms with frequencies of 14% and 22%, respectively in the population of Southwest Iran.

Identification of evolutionarily conserved exons as regulated targets for the splicing activator tra2β in development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sushma Grellscheid

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Alternative splicing amplifies the information content of the genome, creating multiple mRNA isoforms from single genes. The evolutionarily conserved splicing activator Tra2β (Sfrs10 is essential for mouse embryogenesis and implicated in spermatogenesis. Here we find that Tra2β is up-regulated as the mitotic stem cell containing population of male germ cells differentiate into meiotic and post-meiotic cells. Using CLIP coupled to deep sequencing, we found that Tra2β binds a high frequency of exons and identified specific G/A rich motifs as frequent targets. Significantly, for the first time we have analysed the splicing effect of Sfrs10 depletion in vivo by generating a conditional neuronal-specific Sfrs10 knock-out mouse (Sfrs10(fl/fl; Nestin-Cre(tg/+. This mouse has defects in brain development and allowed correlation of genuine physiologically Tra2β regulated exons. These belonged to a novel class which were longer than average size and importantly needed multiple cooperative Tra2β binding sites for efficient splicing activation, thus explaining the observed splicing defects in the knockout mice. Regulated exons included a cassette exon which produces a meiotic isoform of the Nasp histone chaperone that helps monitor DNA double-strand breaks. We also found a previously uncharacterised poison exon identifying a new pathway of feedback control between vertebrate Tra2 proteins. Both Nasp-T and the Tra2a poison exon are evolutionarily conserved, suggesting they might control fundamental developmental processes. Tra2β protein isoforms lacking the RRM were able to activate specific target exons indicating an additional functional role as a splicing co-activator. Significantly the N-terminal RS1 domain conserved between flies and humans was essential for the splicing activator function of Tra2β. Versions of Tra2β lacking this N-terminal RS1 domain potently repressed the same target exons activated by full-length Tra2β protein.

Characterization of a spliced exon product of herpes simplex type-1 latency-associated transcript in productively infected cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Wen; Mukerjee, Ruma; Gartner, Jared J.; Hatzigeorgiou, Artemis G.; Sandri-Goldin, Rozanne M.; Fraser, Nigel W.

2006-01-01

The latency-associated transcripts (LATs) of herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) are the only viral RNAs accumulating during latent infections in the sensory ganglia of the peripheral nervous system. The major form of LAT that accumulates in latently infected neurons is a 2 kb intron, spliced from a much less abundant 8.3 primary transcript. The spliced exon mRNA has been hard to detect. However, in this study, we have examined the spliced exon RNA in productively infected cells using ribonuclease protection (RPA), and quantitative RT-PCR (q-PCR) assays. We were able to detect the LAT exon RNA in productively infected SY5Y cells (a human neuronal cell line). The level of the LAT exon RNA was found to be approximately 5% that of the 2 kb intron RNA and thus is likely to be relatively unstable. Quantitative RT-PCR (q-PCR) assays were used to examine the LAT exon RNA and its properties. They confirmed that the LAT exon mRNA is present at a very low level in productively infected cells, compared to the levels of other viral transcripts. Furthermore, experiments showed that the LAT exon mRNA is expressed as a true late gene, and appears to be polyadenylated. In SY5Y cells, in contrast to most late viral transcripts, the LAT exon RNA was found to be mainly nuclear localized during the late stage of a productive infection. Interestingly, more LAT exon RNA was found in the cytoplasm in differentiated compared to undifferentiated SY5Y cells, suggesting the nucleocytoplasmic distribution of the LAT exon RNA and its related function may be influenced by the differentiation state of cells

Mutation analysis of genes that control the G1/S cell cycle in melanoma: TP53, CDKN1A, CDKN2A, and CDKN2B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soto, José Luis; Cabrera, Carmen M; Serrano, Salvio; López-Nevot, Miguel Ángel

2005-01-01

The role of genes involved in the control of progression from the G1 to the S phase of the cell cycle in melanoma tumors in not fully known. The aim of our study was to analyse mutations in TP53, CDKN1A, CDKN2A, and CDKN2B genes in melanoma tumors and melanoma cell lines We analysed 39 primary and metastatic melanomas and 9 melanoma cell lines by single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP). The single-stranded technique showed heterozygous defects in the TP53 gene in 8 of 39 (20.5%) melanoma tumors: three new single point mutations in intronic sequences (introns 1 and 2) and exon 10, and three new single nucleotide polymorphisms located in introns 1 and 2 (C to T transition at position 11701 in intron 1; C insertion at position 11818 in intron 2; and C insertion at position 11875 in intron 2). One melanoma tumor exhibited two heterozygous alterations in the CDKN2A exon 1 one of which was novel (stop codon, and missense mutation). No defects were found in the remaining genes. These results suggest that these genes are involved in melanoma tumorigenesis, although they may be not the major targets. Other suppressor genes that may be informative of the mechanism of tumorigenesis in skin melanomas should be studied

Cloning and characterization of human RTVP-1b, a novel splice variant of RTVP-1 in glioma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang Cunli; Sarid, Ronit; Cazacu, Simona; Finniss, Susan; Lee, Hae-Kyung; Ziv-Av, Amotz; Mikkelsen, Tom; Brodie, Chaya

2007-01-01

Here, we report the cloning and characterization of RTVP-1b, a novel splice variant of human RTVP-1, which was isolated from the U87 glioma cell line. Sequence analysis revealed that RTVP-1b contains an additional 71 base exon between exons 2 and 3 that is missing in RTVP-1, leading to a frame-shift and a different putative protein. The deduced protein was 237 amino acids in length, sharing the N-terminal 141 amino acids with RTVP-1. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that RTVP-1b was expressed in a wide range of tissues and that its expression was different from that of RTVP-1. In contrast, RTVP-1 and RTVP-1b showed similar patterns of expression in astrocytic tumors; highly expressed in glioblastomas as compared to normal brains, low-grade astrocytomas and anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. Overexpression of RTVP-1b increased glioma cell proliferation but did not affect cell migration. Our results suggest that RTVP-1b represents a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in gliomas

A complex selection signature at the human AVPR1B gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cagliani Rachele

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The vasopressin receptor type 1b (AVPR1B is mainly expressed by pituitary corticotropes and it mediates the stimulatory effects of AVP on ACTH release; common AVPR1B haplotypes have been involved in mood and anxiety disorders in humans, while rodents lacking a functional receptor gene display behavioral defects and altered stress responses. Results Here we have analyzed the two exons of the gene and the data we present suggest that AVPR1B has been subjected to natural selection in humans. In particular, analysis of exon 2 strongly suggests the action of balancing selection in African populations and Europeans: the region displays high nucleotide diversity, an excess of intermediate-frequency alleles, a higher level of within-species diversity compared to interspecific divergence and a genealogy with common haplotypes separated by deep branches. This relatively unambiguous situation coexists with unusual features across exon 1, raising the possibility that a nonsynonymous variant (Gly191Arg in this region has been subjected to directional selection. Conclusion Although the underlying selective pressure(s remains to be identified, we consider this to be among the first documented examples of a gene involved in mood disorders and subjected to natural selection in humans; this observation might add support to the long-debated idea that depression/low mood might have played an adaptive role during human evolution.

A complex selection signature at the human AVPR1B gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Cagliani, Rachele; Fumagalli, Matteo; Pozzoli, Uberto; Riva, Stefania; Cereda, Matteo; Comi, Giacomo P; Pattini, Linda; Bresolin, Nereo; Sironi, Manuela

2009-06-01

The vasopressin receptor type 1b (AVPR1B) is mainly expressed by pituitary corticotropes and it mediates the stimulatory effects of AVP on ACTH release; common AVPR1B haplotypes have been involved in mood and anxiety disorders in humans, while rodents lacking a functional receptor gene display behavioral defects and altered stress responses. Here we have analyzed the two exons of the gene and the data we present suggest that AVPR1B has been subjected to natural selection in humans. In particular, analysis of exon 2 strongly suggests the action of balancing selection in African populations and Europeans: the region displays high nucleotide diversity, an excess of intermediate-frequency alleles, a higher level of within-species diversity compared to interspecific divergence and a genealogy with common haplotypes separated by deep branches. This relatively unambiguous situation coexists with unusual features across exon 1, raising the possibility that a nonsynonymous variant (Gly191Arg) in this region has been subjected to directional selection. Although the underlying selective pressure(s) remains to be identified, we consider this to be among the first documented examples of a gene involved in mood disorders and subjected to natural selection in humans; this observation might add support to the long-debated idea that depression/low mood might have played an adaptive role during human evolution.

Evaluation of 2’-Deoxy-2’-fluoro Antisense Oligonucleotides for Exon Skipping in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvana M G Jirka

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD is a severe muscle wasting disorder typically caused by frame-shifting mutations in the DMD gene. Restoration of the reading frame would allow the production of a shorter but partly functional dystrophin protein as seen in Becker muscular dystrophy patients. This can be achieved with antisense oligonucleotides (AONs that induce skipping of specific exons during pre-mRNA splicing. Different chemical modifications have been developed to improve AON properties. The 2’-deoxy-2’-fluoro (2F RNA modification is attractive for exon skipping due to its ability to recruit ILF2/3 proteins to the 2F/pre-mRNA duplex, which resulted in enhanced exon skipping in spinal muscular atrophy models. In this study, we examined the effect of two different 2’-substituted AONs (2’-F phosphorothioate (2FPS and 2’-O-Me phosphorothioate (2OMePS on exon skipping in DMD cell and animal models. In human cell cultures, 2FPS AONs showed higher exon skipping levels than their isosequential 2OMePS counterparts. Interestingly, in the mdx mouse model, 2FPS was less efficient than 2OMePS and suggested safety issues as evidenced by increased spleen size and weight loss. Our results do not support a clinical application for 2FPS AON.

Loss of Endocan tumorigenic properties after alternative splicing of exon 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Depontieu, Florence; Grigoriu, Bogdan-Dragos; Scherpereel, Arnaud; Adam, Estelle; Delehedde, Maryse; Gosset, Philippe; Lassalle, Philippe

2008-01-01

Endocan was originally described as a dermatan sulfate proteoglycan found freely circulating in the blood. Endocan expression confers tumorigenic properties to epithelial cell lines or accelerate the growth of already tumorigenic cells. This molecule is the product of a single gene composed of 3 exons. Previous data showed that endocan mRNA is subject to alternative splicing with possible generation of two protein products. In the present study we identified, and functionally characterized, the alternative spliced product of the endocan gene: the exon 2-deleted endocan, called endocanΔ2. Stable, endocanΔ2-overexpressing cell lines were generated to investigate the biological activities of this new alternatively spliced product of endocan gene. Tumorigenesis was studied by inoculating endocan and endocanΔ2 expressing cell lines subcutaneously in SCID mice. Biochemical properties of endocan and endocanΔ2 were studied after production of recombinant proteins in various cell lines of human and murine origin. Our results showed that the exon 2 deletion impairs synthesis of the glycan chain, known to be involved in the pro-tumoral effect of endocan. EndocanΔ2 did not promote tumor formation by 293 cells implanted in the skin of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Our results emphasize the key role of the polypeptide sequence encoded by the exon 2 of endocan gene in tumorigenesis, and suggest that this sequence could be a target for future therapies against cancer

Germline mutations of BRCA1 gene exon 11 are not associated with platinum response neither with survival advantage in patients with primary ovarian cancer: understanding the clinical importance of one of the biggest human exons. A study of the Tumor Bank Ovarian Cancer (TOC) Consortium.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrova, Desislava; Ruscito, Ilary; Olek, Sven; Richter, Rolf; Hellwag, Alexander; Türbachova, Ivana; Woopen, Hannah; Baron, Udo; Braicu, Elena Ioana; Sehouli, Jalid

2016-09-01

Germline mutations in BRCA1 gene have been reported in up to 20 % of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. Distinct clinical characteristics have been attributed to this special EOC population. We hypothesized that mutations in different BRCA1 gene exons may differently affect the clinical course of the disease. The aim of this study was to analyze, in a large cohort of primary EOCs, the clinical impact of mutations in BRCA1 gene exon 11, the largest exon of the gene sequence encoding the 60 % of BRCA1 protein. Two hundred sixty-three primary EOC patients, treated between 2000 and 2008 at Charité University Hospital of Berlin, were included. Patients' blood samples were obtained from the Tumor Ovarian Cancer (TOC) Network ( www.toc-network.de ). Direct sequencing of BRCA1 gene exon 11 was performed for each patient to detect mutations. Based on their BRCA1 exon 11 mutational status, patients were compared regarding clinico-pathological variables and survival. Mutations in BRCA1 exon 11 were found in 18 out of 263 patients (6.8 %). Further 10/263 (3.8 %) cases showed variants of uncertain significance (VUS). All exon 11 BRCA1-positive tumors (100 %) were Type 2 ovarian carcinomas (p = 0.05). Age at diagnosis was significantly younger in Type 2 exon 11 mutated patients (p = 0.01). On multivariate analysis, BRCA1 exon 11 mutational status was not found to be an independent predictive factor for optimal cytoreduction, platinum response, or survival. Mutations in BRCA1 gene exon 11 seem to predispose women to exclusively develop a Type 2 ovarian cancer at younger age. Exon 11 BRCA1-mutated EOC patients showed distinct clinico-pathological features but similar clinical outcome with respect to sporadic EOC patients.

Molecular Characterization of the Llamas (Lama glama) Casein Cluster Genes Transcripts (CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, CSN3) and Regulatory Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Pauciullo, Alfredo; Erhardt, Georg

2015-01-01

In the present paper, we report for the first time the characterization of llama (Lama glama) caseins at transcriptomic and genetic level. A total of 288 casein clones transcripts were analysed from two lactating llamas. The most represented mRNA populations were those correctly assembled (85.07%) and they encoded for mature proteins of 215, 217, 187 and 162 amino acids respectively for the CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2 and CSN3 genes. The exonic subdivision evidenced a structure made of 21, 9, 17 and 6 exons for the αs1-, β-, αs2- and κ-casein genes respectively. Exon skipping and duplication events were evidenced. Two variants A and B were identified in the αs1-casein gene as result of the alternative out-splicing of the exon 18. An additional exon coding for a novel esapeptide was found to be cryptic in the κ-casein gene, whereas one extra exon was found in the αs2-casein gene by the comparison with the Camelus dromedaries sequence. A total of 28 putative phosphorylated motifs highlighted a complex heterogeneity and a potential variable degree of post-translational modifications. Ninety-six polymorphic sites were found through the comparison of the lama casein cDNAs with the homologous camel sequences, whereas the first description and characterization of the 5’- and 3’-regulatory regions allowed to identify the main putative consensus sequences involved in the casein genes expression, thus opening the way to new investigations -so far- never achieved in this species. PMID:25923814

Molecular Characterization of the Llamas (Lama glama) Casein Cluster Genes Transcripts (CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, CSN3) and Regulatory Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauciullo, Alfredo; Erhardt, Georg

2015-01-01

In the present paper, we report for the first time the characterization of llama (Lama glama) caseins at transcriptomic and genetic level. A total of 288 casein clones transcripts were analysed from two lactating llamas. The most represented mRNA populations were those correctly assembled (85.07%) and they encoded for mature proteins of 215, 217, 187 and 162 amino acids respectively for the CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2 and CSN3 genes. The exonic subdivision evidenced a structure made of 21, 9, 17 and 6 exons for the αs1-, β-, αs2- and κ-casein genes respectively. Exon skipping and duplication events were evidenced. Two variants A and B were identified in the αs1-casein gene as result of the alternative out-splicing of the exon 18. An additional exon coding for a novel esapeptide was found to be cryptic in the κ-casein gene, whereas one extra exon was found in the αs2-casein gene by the comparison with the Camelus dromedaries sequence. A total of 28 putative phosphorylated motifs highlighted a complex heterogeneity and a potential variable degree of post-translational modifications. Ninety-six polymorphic sites were found through the comparison of the lama casein cDNAs with the homologous camel sequences, whereas the first description and characterization of the 5'- and 3'-regulatory regions allowed to identify the main putative consensus sequences involved in the casein genes expression, thus opening the way to new investigations -so far- never achieved in this species.

Role of vitamin C transporters and biliverdin reductase in the dual pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant effect of biliary compounds on the placental-fetal unit in cholestasis during pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, Maria J.; Castano, Beatriz; Jimenez, Silvia; Serrano, Maria A.; Gonzalez-Buitrago, Jose M.; Marin, Jose J.G.

2008-01-01

Maternal cholestasis causes oxidative damage to the placental-fetal unit that may challenge the outcome of pregnancy. This has been associated with the accumulation of biliary compounds able to induce oxidative stress. However, other cholephilic compounds such as ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and bilirubin have direct anti-oxidant properties. In the present study we investigated whether these compounds exert a protective effect on cholestasis-induced oxidative stress in placenta as compared to maternal and fetal livers, and whether this is due in part to the activation of anti-oxidant mechanisms involving vitamin C uptake and biliverdin/bilirubin recycling. In human placenta (JAr) and liver (HepG2) cells, deoxycholic acid (DCA) similar rates of free radical generation. In JAr (not HepG2), the mitochondrial membrane potential and cell viability were impaired by low DCA concentrations; this was partly prevented by bilirubin and UDCA. In HepG2, taurocholic acid (TCA) and UDCA up-regulated biliverdin-IXα reductase (BVRα) and the vitamin C transporter SVCT2 (not SVCT1), whereas bilirubin up-regulated both SVCT1 and SVCT2. In JAr, TCA and UDCA up-regulated BVRα, SVCT1 and SVCT2, whereas bilirubin up-regulated only SVCT2. A differential response to these compounds of nuclear receptor expression (SXR, CAR, FXR and SHP) was found in both cell types. When cholestasis was induced in pregnant rats, BVRα, SVCT1 and SVCT2 expression in maternal and fetal livers was stimulated, and this was further enhanced by UDCA treatment. In placenta, only BVRα was up-regulated. In conclusion, bilirubin accumulation and UDCA administration may directly and indirectly protect the placental-fetal unit from maternal cholestasis-induced oxidative stress

Investigation of Exon 1 in FXN Gene in Patients with Clinical Symptomatic of Friedreich Ataxia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naseroleslami M

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA is an autosomal recessive disorder that is typically associated with dysarthria, muscle weakness, spasticity in the lower limbs, scoliosis, bladder dysfunction, absent lower limb reflexes, and loss of position and vibration sense. Approximately two-thirds of these patients suffer from cardiomyopathy and more than 30% have diabetes mellitus. Individuals with FRDA have identifiable mutations in the FXN gene. The most common type of mutation which is observed on both alleles in more than 98% of patients is an expansion of a GAA triplet-repeat in intron of FXN gene. Approximately 2% of individuals with FRDA are compound heterozygotes, who have a GAA expansion in the disease-causing range in one FXN allele and an inactivating FXN mutation in another allele. Aim of the present study was to investigate exon 1 in FRDA gene in patients with clinical symptoms of Friedreich’s Ataxia that have not GAA triplet-repeat expansion in intron 1 of FXN gene.Methods: In this study, exon 1 in 5 patients suspected of FRDA analyzed using PCR and sequencing. Results: An A to G transition at nucleotide number 815284, in exon 1 was observed in all patients. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that disease-causing homozygous mutations could be because of consanguinity marriage in Iran. Therefore, sequencing of all exons of the gene is necessary.

Identification of protein features encoded by alternative exons using Exon Ontology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tranchevent, Léon-Charles; Aubé, Fabien; Dulaurier, Louis; Benoit-Pilven, Clara; Rey, Amandine; Poret, Arnaud; Chautard, Emilie; Mortada, Hussein; Desmet, François-Olivier; Chakrama, Fatima Zahra; Moreno-Garcia, Maira Alejandra; Goillot, Evelyne; Janczarski, Stéphane; Mortreux, Franck; Bourgeois, Cyril F; Auboeuf, Didier

2017-06-01

Transcriptomic genome-wide analyses demonstrate massive variation of alternative splicing in many physiological and pathological situations. One major challenge is now to establish the biological contribution of alternative splicing variation in physiological- or pathological-associated cellular phenotypes. Toward this end, we developed a computational approach, named "Exon Ontology," based on terms corresponding to well-characterized protein features organized in an ontology tree. Exon Ontology is conceptually similar to Gene Ontology-based approaches but focuses on exon-encoded protein features instead of gene level functional annotations. Exon Ontology describes the protein features encoded by a selected list of exons and looks for potential Exon Ontology term enrichment. By applying this strategy to exons that are differentially spliced between epithelial and mesenchymal cells and after extensive experimental validation, we demonstrate that Exon Ontology provides support to discover specific protein features regulated by alternative splicing. We also show that Exon Ontology helps to unravel biological processes that depend on suites of coregulated alternative exons, as we uncovered a role of epithelial cell-enriched splicing factors in the AKT signaling pathway and of mesenchymal cell-enriched splicing factors in driving splicing events impacting on autophagy. Freely available on the web, Exon Ontology is the first computational resource that allows getting a quick insight into the protein features encoded by alternative exons and investigating whether coregulated exons contain the same biological information. © 2017 Tranchevent et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

An Enhancer Near ISL1 and an Ultraconserved Exon of PCBP2 areDerived from a Retroposon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bejerano, Gill; Lowe, Craig; Ahituv, Nadav; King, Bryan; Siepel,Adam; Salama, Sofie; Rubin, Edward M.; Kent, W. James; Haussler, David

2005-11-27

Hundreds of highly conserved distal cis-regulatory elementshave been characterized to date in vertebrate genomes1. Many thousandsmore are predicted based on comparative genomics2,3. Yet, in starkcontrast to the genes they regulate, virtually none of these regions canbe traced using sequence similarity in invertebrates, leaving theirevolutionary origin obscure. Here we show that a class of conserved,primarily non-coding regions in tetrapods originated from a novel shortinterspersed repetitive element (SINE) retroposon family that was activein Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes and terrestrial vertebrates) in theSilurian at least 410 Mya4, and, remarkably, appears to be recentlyactive in the "living fossil" Indonesian coelacanth, Latimeriamenadoensis. We show that one copy is a distal enhancer, located 500kbfrom the neuro-developmental gene ISL1. Several others represent new,possibly regulatory, alternatively spliced exons in the middle ofpre-existing Sarcopterygian genes. One of these is the>200bpultraconserved region5, 100 percent identical in mammals, and 80 percentidentical to the coelacanth SINE, that contains a 31aa alternativelyspliced exon of the mRNA processing gene PCBP26. These add to a growinglist of examples7 in which relics of transposable elements have acquireda function that serves their host, a process termed "exaptation"8, andprovide an origin for at least some of the highly-conservedvertebrate-specific genomic sequences recently discovered usingcomparative genomics.

A mutation in an alternative untranslated exon of hexokinase 1 associated with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy -- Russe (HMSNR).

Science.gov (United States)

Hantke, Janina; Chandler, David; King, Rosalind; Wanders, Ronald J A; Angelicheva, Dora; Tournev, Ivailo; McNamara, Elyshia; Kwa, Marcel; Guergueltcheva, Velina; Kaneva, Radka; Baas, Frank; Kalaydjieva, Luba

2009-12-01

Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy -- Russe (HMSNR) is a severe autosomal recessive disorder, identified in the Gypsy population. Our previous studies mapped the gene to 10q22-q23 and refined the gene region to approximately 70 kb. Here we report the comprehensive sequencing analysis and fine mapping of this region, reducing it to approximately 26 kb of fully characterised sequence spanning the upstream exons of Hexokinase 1 (HK1). We identified two sequence variants in complete linkage disequilibrium, a G>C in a novel alternative untranslated exon (AltT2) and a G>A in the adjacent intron, segregating with the disease in affected families and present in the heterozygote state in only 5/790 population controls. Sequence conservation of the AltT2 exon in 16 species with invariable preservation of the G allele at the mutated site, strongly favour the exonic change as the pathogenic mutation. Analysis of the Hk1 upstream region in mouse mRNA from testis and neural tissues showed an abundance of AltT2-containing transcripts generated by extensive, developmentally regulated alternative splicing. Expression is very low compared with ubiquitous Hk1 and all transcripts skip exon1, which encodes the protein domain responsible for binding to the outer mitochondrial membrane, and regulation of energy production and apoptosis. Hexokinase activity measurement and immunohistochemistry of the peripheral nerve showed no difference between patients and controls. The mutational mechanism and functional effects remain unknown and could involve disrupted translational regulation leading to increased anti-apoptotic activity (suggested by the profuse regenerative activity in affected nerves), or impairment of an unknown HK1 function in the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

Screening for coding variants in FTO and SH2B1 genes in Chinese patients with obesity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaojing Zheng

Full Text Available To investigate potential functional variants in FTO and SH2B1 genes among Chinese children with obesity.Sanger sequencing of PCR products of all FTO and SH2B1 exons and their flanking regions were performed in 338 Chinese Han children with obesity and 221 age- and sex-matched lean controls.A total of seven and five rare non-synonymous variants were identified in FTO and SH2B1, respectively. The overall frequencies of FTO and SH2B1 rare non-synonymous variants were similar in obese and lean children (2.37% and 0.90% vs. 1.81% and 1.36%, P>0.05. However, four out of the seven variants in FTO were novel and all were unique to obese children (p>0.05. None of the novel variants was consistently being predicted to be deleterious. Four out of five variants in SH2B1 were novel and one was unique to obese children (p>0.05. One variant (L293R that was consistently being predicted as deleterious in SH2B1 gene was unique to lean control. While rare missense mutations were more frequently detected in girls from obesity as well as lean control than boys, the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, it's shown that the prevalence of rare missense mutations of FTO as well as SH2B1 was similar across different ethnic groups.The rare missense mutations of FTO and SH2B1 did not confer risks of obesity in Chinese Han children in our cohort.

Splicing Analysis of Exonic OCRL Mutations Causing Lowe Syndrome or Dent-2 Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena Suarez-Artiles

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Mutations in the OCRL gene are associated with both Lowe syndrome and Dent-2 disease. Patients with Lowe syndrome present congenital cataracts, mental disabilities and a renal proximal tubulopathy, whereas patients with Dent-2 disease exhibit similar proximal tubule dysfunction but only mild, or no additional clinical defects. It is not yet understood why some OCRL mutations cause the phenotype of Lowe syndrome, while others develop the milder phenotype of Dent-2 disease. Our goal was to gain new insights into the consequences of OCRL exonic mutations on pre-mRNA splicing. Using predictive bioinformatics tools, we selected thirteen missense mutations and one synonymous mutation based on their potential effects on splicing regulatory elements or splice sites. These mutations were analyzed in a minigene splicing assay. Results of the RNA analysis showed that three presumed missense mutations caused alterations in pre-mRNA splicing. Mutation c.741G>T; p.(Trp247Cys generated splicing silencer sequences and disrupted splicing enhancer motifs that resulted in skipping of exon 9, while mutations c.2581G>A; p.(Ala861Thr and c.2581G>C; p.(Ala861Pro abolished a 5′ splice site leading to skipping of exon 23. Mutation c.741G>T represents the first OCRL exonic variant outside the conserved splice site dinucleotides that results in alteration of pre-mRNA splicing. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating the effects of OCRL exonic mutations at the mRNA level.

Dynamic ASXL1 Exon Skipping and Alternative Circular Splicing in Single Human Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winston Koh

Full Text Available Circular RNAs comprise a poorly understood new class of noncoding RNA. In this study, we used a combination of targeted deletion, high-resolution splicing detection, and single-cell sequencing to deeply probe ASXL1 circular splicing. We found that efficient circular splicing required the canonical transcriptional start site and inverted AluSx elements. Sequencing-based interrogation of isoforms after ASXL1 overexpression identified promiscuous linear splicing between all exons, with the two most abundant non-canonical linear products skipping the exons that produced the circular isoforms. Single-cell sequencing revealed a strong preference for either the linear or circular ASXL1 isoforms in each cell, and found the predominant exon skipping product is frequently co-expressed with its reciprocal circular isoform. Finally, absolute quantification of ASXL1 isoforms confirmed our findings and suggests that standard methods overestimate circRNA abundance. Taken together, these data reveal a dynamic new view of circRNA genesis, providing additional framework for studying their roles in cellular biology.

CYP1B1 and MYOC Mutations in Vietnamese Primary Congenital Glaucoma Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Tan; Shei, William; Chau, Pham Thi Minh; Trang, Doan Le; Yong, Victor H K; Ng, Xiao Yu; Chen, Yue Ming; Aung, Tin; Vithana, Eranga N

2016-05-01

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG, OMIM 231300), the most common glaucoma in infancy, is caused by developmental defects in the anterior chamber angle. The 3 implicated genes are cytochrome P450 family I subfamily B polypeptide 1 (CYP1B1), latent transforming growth factor β-binding protein 2 (LTBP2), and myocilin (MYOC). In this study, we sought to determine CYP1B1 and MYOC sequence variations in a Vietnamese cohort of index cases with PCG and their families. Thirty Vietnamese subjects with PCG and 120 normal Vietnamese subjects were recruited. PCG was defined by the presence of at least 2 of the following clinical manifestations: increased corneal diameter (>10 mm at birth), corneal edema, Haab's striae, optic disc changes, and absence of other ocular or systemic diseases associated with childhood glaucoma. The coding exons, intron and exon boundaries, and untranslated regions of CYP1B1 and MYOC genes were PCR amplified and subjected to bidirectional sequencing in all subjects. We identified 2 homozygous and 3 heterozygous CYP1B1 sequence alterations in our study subjects. Among the 5 mutations identified, 2 (p.H279L and p.L283F) were novel mutations, whereas 3 (p.A121_S122insDRPAFA, p.L107V, and p.V320L) had been previously reported in PCG cases. None of these mutations was observed in any of the 120 controls. Haplotypes generated with 6 non-disease-causing intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms detected in CYP1B1 indicated that the most common haplotype in Vietnamese population is similar to that found in Chinese and Japanese. The genotype-phenotype correlation showed no significant difference between mutation and no-mutation groups for quantitative clinical features (presenting intraocular pressure, corneal diameter, number of surgeries performed, the cup-to-disc ratio) as well as for qualitative factors (bilateral cases, phenotype severity, and the prognosis) (P>0.05). Five out of 30 families with PCG (16.7%) had disease attributable to CYP1B1 alterations

Dual RNA Processing Roles of Pat1b via Cytoplasmic Lsm1-7 and Nuclear Lsm2-8 Complexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Vindry

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pat1 RNA-binding proteins, enriched in processing bodies (P bodies, are key players in cytoplasmic 5′ to 3′ mRNA decay, activating decapping of mRNA in complex with the Lsm1-7 heptamer. Using co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence approaches coupled with RNAi, we provide evidence for a nuclear complex of Pat1b with the Lsm2-8 heptamer, which binds to the spliceosomal U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA. Furthermore, we establish the set of interactions connecting Pat1b/Lsm2-8/U6 snRNA/SART3 and additional U4/U6.U5 tri-small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (tri-snRNP components in Cajal bodies, the site of snRNP biogenesis. RNA sequencing following Pat1b depletion revealed the preferential upregulation of mRNAs normally found in P bodies and enriched in 3′ UTR AU-rich elements. Changes in >180 alternative splicing events were also observed, characterized by skipping of regulated exons with weak donor sites. Our data demonstrate the dual role of a decapping enhancer in pre-mRNA processing as well as in mRNA decay via distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic Lsm complexes.

Incidência de fumonisina B1, aflatoxinas B1, B2, G1 e G2, ocratoxina A e zearalenona em produtos de milho Occurrence of fumonisin B1, aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in corn products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciane Mie Kawashima

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Levantamentos de ocorrência de micotoxinas em alimentos foram realizados nas últimas duas décadas nas regiões Sudeste e Sul do Brasil. Levantamentos em alimentos comercializados em outras regiões têm-se limitado a aflatoxinas em amendoim e castanhas do Brasil. O presente trabalho pesquisou a presença de fumonisina B1, aflatoxinas B1, B2, G1 e G2, ocratoxina A e zearalenona em 74 amostras de produtos a base de milho adquiridas no comércio da cidade de Recife, PE, durante o período de 1999 a 2001. Fumonisina B1 foi determinada por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por fluorescência e as demais toxinas foram determinadas por cromatografia em camada delgada. Fumonisina B1 foi encontrada em 94,6% das amostras em concentrações variando de 20 a 8600 µg/kg. Apenas 5 amostras continham aflatoxina B1 e o teor máximo encontrado foi 20 µg/kg. Duas amostras ultrapassaram o limite de 20 µg/kg para a somatória das aflatoxinas B1, B2, G1 e G2 (farinha de milho pré-cozida com 21,5 µg/kg e quirera (xerém com 23,3 µg/kg. As aflatoxinas G1 e G2, ocratoxina A e zearalenona não foram detectadas em nenhuma das amostras. Todas as amostras contaminadas com aflatoxinas também apresentaram fumonisina B1.Research concerning the presence of mycotoxin in food has been conducted in the Southwest and South regions of Brazil over the last two decades. Research in other regions has been limited to aflatoxin in peanuts and Brazil nuts. The aim of this work is to study the presence of fumonisin B1, aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in 74 samples of corn products acquired in shops and food markets in the city of Recife (PE from 1999 to 2001. Fumonisin B1 was determined by high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence was detected. The other toxins were determined by thin layer chromatography. Fumonisin B1 was found in 94.6% of the samples in levels from 20 to 8600 µg/kg. Only 5 samples contained

Large exon size does not limit splicing in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, I T; Chasin, L A

1994-03-01

Exon sizes in vertebrate genes are, with a few exceptions, limited to less than 300 bases. It has been proposed that this limitation may derive from the exon definition model of splice site recognition. In this model, a downstream donor site enhances splicing at the upstream acceptor site of the same exon. This enhancement may require contact between factors bound to each end of the exon; an exon size limitation would promote such contact. To test the idea that proximity was required for exon definition, we inserted random DNA fragments from Escherichia coli into a central exon in a three-exon dihydrofolate reductase minigene and tested whether the expanded exons were efficiently spliced. DNA from a plasmid library of expanded minigenes was used to transfect a CHO cell deletion mutant lacking the dhfr locus. PCR analysis of DNA isolated from the pooled stable cotransfectant populations displayed a range of DNA insert sizes from 50 to 1,500 nucleotides. A parallel analysis of the RNA from this population by reverse transcription followed by PCR showed a similar size distribution. Central exons as large as 1,400 bases could be spliced into mRNA. We also tested individual plasmid clones containing exon inserts of defined sizes. The largest exon included in mRNA was 1,200 bases in length, well above the 300-base limit implied by the survey of naturally occurring exons. We conclude that a limitation in exon size is not part of the exon definition mechanism.

A newly detected mutation of the RET protooncogene in exon 8 as a cause of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.

Science.gov (United States)

Bethanis, Sotirios; Koutsodontis, George; Palouka, Theodosia; Avgoustis, Christos; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Bei, Thalia; Papadopoulos, Savas; Linos, Dimitrios; Tsagarakis, Stylianos

2007-01-01

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) is a syndrome of familial neoplasias characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), pheochromocytoma and hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. RET protooncogene mutations are responsible for MEN 2A. Mutations in exons 10 or 11 have been identified in more than 96% of patients with MEN 2A. We herein report for the first time a patient with MEN 2A harboring a mutation (Gly(533)Cys) in exon 8. A 66-year old male patient was referred to our department for bilateral adrenal nodules. The patient's family history was remarkable in that his mother had pheochromocytoma. Biochemical evaluation and findings of the magnetic resonance imaging of the adrenals were compatible with the diagnosis of bilateral pheochromocytomas. The patient underwent laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy and histological examination confirmed the preoperative diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Absence of phenotypic characteristics of VHL or NF1 and elevated calcitonin levels both basal and post pentagastrin stimulation, raised the possibility of MEN 2A syndrome. Total thyroidectomy was performed and histological examination showed the presence of MTC. Direct sequencing of exon 8 from the patient's genomic DNA revealed the mutation c.1,597G-->T (Gly533Cys). Although this missense point mutation has been associated with familial MTC (FMTC), to the best of our knowledge mutations in exon 8 have not previously been identified in patients with MEN 2A. In conclusion, in patients with clinical suspicion of MEN 2A syndrome, analysis of RET exon 8 should be considered when the routine evaluation of MEN 2A-associated mutations is negative. Furthermore, patients with FMTC and exon 8 mutations should also be screened for pheochromocytoma.

A fusion protein of HCMV IE1 exon4 and IE2 exon5 stimulates potent cellular immunity in an MVA vaccine vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Z.; Zhou, W.; Srivastava, T.; La Rosa, C.; Mandarino, A.; Forman, S.J.; Zaia, J.A.; Britt, W.J.; Diamond, D.J.

2008-01-01

A therapeutic CMV vaccine incorporating an antigenic repertoire capable of eliciting a cellular immune response has yet to be successfully implemented for patients who already have acquired an infection. To address this problem, we have developed a vaccine candidate derived from modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) that expresses three immunodominant antigens (pp65, IE1, IE2) from CMV. The novelty of this vaccine is the fusion of two adjacent exons from the immediate-early region of CMV, their successful expression in MVA, and robust immunogenicity in both primary and memory response models. Evaluation of the immunogenicity of the viral vaccine in mouse models shows that it can stimulate primary immunity against all three antigens in both the CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets. Evaluation of human PBMC from healthy CMV-positive donors or patients within 6 months of receiving hematopoietic cell transplant shows robust stimulation of existing CMV-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets

Alternative splicing at exon 2 results in the loss of the catalytic activity of mouse DNA polymerase iota in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazachenko, Konstantin Y; Miropolskaya, Nataliya A; Gening, Leonid V; Tarantul, Vyacheslav Z; Makarova, Alena V

2017-02-01

Y-family DNA polymerase iota (Pol ι) possesses both DNA polymerase and dRP lyase activities and was suggested to be involved in DNA translesion synthesis and base excision repair in mammals. The 129 strain of mice and its derivatives have a natural nonsense codon mutation in the second exon of the Pol ι gene resulting in truncation of the Pol ι protein. These mice were widely used as a Pol ι-null model for in vivo studies of the Pol ι function. However whether 129-derived strains of mice are fully deficient in the Pol ι functions was a subject of discussion since Pol ι mRNA undergoes alternative splicing at exon 2. Here we report purification of mouse Pol ι lacking the region encoded by exon 2, which includes several conserved residues involved in catalysis. We show that the deletion abrogates both the DNA polymerase and dRP lyase activities of Pol ι in the presence of either Mg 2+ or Mn 2+ ions. Thus, 129-derived strains of mice express catalytically inactive alternatively spliced Pol ι variant, whose cellular functions, if any exist, remain to be established. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Association between homozygous c.318A>GT mutation in exon 2 of the EIF2B5 gene and the infantile form of vanishing white matter leukoencephalopathy].

Science.gov (United States)

Esmer, Carmen; Blanco Hernández, Gabriela; Saavedra Alanís, Víctor; Reyes Vaca, Jorge Guillermo; Bravo Oro, Antonio

Vanishing white matter disease is one of the most frequent leukodystrophies in childhood with an autosomal recessive inheritance. A mutation in one of the genes encoding the five subunits of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (EIF2B5) is present in 90% of the cases. The diagnosis can be accomplished by the clinical and neuroradiological findings and molecular tests. We describe a thirteen-month-old male with previous normal neurodevelopment, who was hospitalized for vomiting, hyperthermia and irritability. On examination, cephalic perimeter and cranial pairs were normal. Hypotonia, increased muscle stretching reflexes, generalized white matter hypodensity on cranial tomography were found. Fifteen days after discharge, he suffered minor head trauma presenting drowsiness and focal seizures. Magnetic resonance showed generalized hypointensity of white matter. Vanishing white matter disease was suspected, and confirmed by sequencing of the EIF2B5 gene, revealing a homozygous c.318A> T mutation in exon 2. Subsequently, visual acuity was lost and cognitive and motor deterioration was evident. The patient died at six years of age due to severe pneumonia. This case contributes to the knowledge of the mutational spectrum present in Mexican patients and allows to extend the phenotype associated to this mutation. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A.

A mutation in an alternative untranslated exon of hexokinase 1 associated with Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy – Russe (HMSNR)

Science.gov (United States)

Hantke, Janina; Chandler, David; King, Rosalind; Wanders, Ronald JA; Angelicheva, Dora; Tournev, Ivailo; McNamara, Elyshia; Kwa, Marcel; Guergueltcheva, Velina; Kaneva, Radka; Baas, Frank; Kalaydjieva, Luba

2009-01-01

Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy – Russe (HMSNR) is a severe autosomal recessive disorder, identified in the Gypsy population. Our previous studies mapped the gene to 10q22-q23 and refined the gene region to ∼70 kb. Here we report the comprehensive sequencing analysis and fine mapping of this region, reducing it to ∼26 kb of fully characterised sequence spanning the upstream exons of Hexokinase 1 (HK1). We identified two sequence variants in complete linkage disequilibrium, a G>C in a novel alternative untranslated exon (AltT2) and a G>A in the adjacent intron, segregating with the disease in affected families and present in the heterozygote state in only 5/790 population controls. Sequence conservation of the AltT2 exon in 16 species with invariable preservation of the G allele at the mutated site, strongly favour the exonic change as the pathogenic mutation. Analysis of the Hk1 upstream region in mouse mRNA from testis and neural tissues showed an abundance of AltT2-containing transcripts generated by extensive, developmentally regulated alternative splicing. Expression is very low compared with ubiquitous Hk1 and all transcripts skip exon1, which encodes the protein domain responsible for binding to the outer mitochondrial membrane, and regulation of energy production and apoptosis. Hexokinase activity measurement and immunohistochemistry of the peripheral nerve showed no difference between patients and controls. The mutational mechanism and functional effects remain unknown and could involve disrupted translational regulation leading to increased anti-apoptotic activity (suggested by the profuse regenerative activity in affected nerves), or impairment of an unknown HK1 function in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). PMID:19536174

The B(E2;4^+1->2^+1) / B(E2;2^+1->0^+1) Ratio in Even-Even Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Loelius, C.; Sharon, Y. Y.; Zamick, L.; G"Urdal, G.

2009-10-01

We considered 207 even-even nuclei throughout the chart of nuclides for which the NNDC Tables had data on the energies and lifetimes of the 2^+1 and 4^+1 states. Using these data we calculated for each nucleus the electric quadrupole transition strengths B(E2;4^+1->2^+1) and B(E2;2^+1->0^+1), as well as their ratio. The internal conversion coefficients were obtained by using the NNDC HSICC calculator. For each nucleus we plotted the B(E2) ratio against A, N, and Z. We found that for close to 90% of the nuclei considered the ratio had values between 0.5 and 2.5. Most of the outliers had magic numbers of protons or neutrons. Our ratio results were compared with the theoretical predictions for this ratio by different models--10/7 in the rotational model and 2 in the simplest vibrational model. In the rotational regions (for 150 220) the ratios were indeed close to 10/7. For the few nuclei thought to be vibrational the ratios were usually less than 2. Otherwise, we got a wide scatter of ratio values. Hence other models, including the NpNn scheme, must be considered in interpreting these results.

SRSF1 Prevents DNA Damage and Promotes Tumorigenesis through Regulation of DBF4B Pre-mRNA Splicing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linlin Chen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Dysregulated alternative splicing events have been implicated in many types of cancer, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we observe that the splicing factor SRSF1 regulates DBF4B exon6 splicing by specifically binding and promoting its inclusion. Knockdown of the exon6-containing isoform (DBF4B-FL significantly inhibits the tumorigenic potential of colon cancer cells in vitro and in mice, and SRSF1 inactivation phenocopies DBF4B-FL depletion. DBF4B-FL and SRSF1 are required for cancer cell proliferation and for the maintenance of genomic stability. Overexpression of DBF4B-FL can protect against DNA damage induced by SRSF1 knockdown and rescues growth defects in SRSF1-depleted cells. Increased DBF4B exon6 inclusion parallels SRSF1 upregulation in clinical colorectal cancer samples. Taken together, our findings identify SRSF1 as a key regulator of DBF4B pre-mRNA splicing dysregulation in colon cancer, with possible clinical implications as candidate prognostic factors in cancer patients.

Association of Neuropeptide Y (NPY), Interleukin-1B (IL1B) Genetic Variants and Correlation of IL1B Transcript Levels with Vitiligo Susceptibility

Science.gov (United States)

Laddha, Naresh C.; Dwivedi, Mitesh; Mansuri, Mohmmad Shoab; Singh, Mala; Patel, Hetanshi H.; Agarwal, Nishtha; Shah, Anish M.; Begum, Rasheedunnisa

2014-01-01

Background Vitiligo is a depigmenting disorder resulting from loss of functional melanocytes in the skin. NPY plays an important role in induction of immune response by acting on a variety of immune cells. NPY synthesis and release is governed by IL1B. Moreover, genetic variability in IL1B is reported to be associated with elevated NPY levels. Objectives Aim of the present study was to explore NPY promoter −399T/C (rs16147) and exon2 +1128T/C (rs16139) polymorphisms as well as IL1B promoter −511C/T (rs16944) polymorphism and to correlate IL1B transcript levels with vitiligo. Methods PCR-RFLP method was used to genotype NPY -399T/C SNP in 454 patients and 1226 controls; +1128T/C SNP in 575 patients and 1279 controls and IL1B −511C/T SNP in 448 patients and 785 controls from Gujarat. IL1B transcript levels in blood were also assessed in 105 controls and 95 patients using real-time PCR. Results Genotype and allele frequencies for NPY −399T/C, +1128T/C and IL1B −511C/T SNPs differed significantly (pvitiligo by 2.3 fold (pvitiligo (p = 0.015), also in female patients than male patients (p = 0.026). Genotype-phenotype correlation showed moderate association of IL1B -511C/T polymorphism with higher IL1B transcript levels. Trend analysis revealed significant difference between patients and controls for IL1B transcript levels with respect to different genotypes. Conclusion Our results suggest that NPY −399T/C, +1128T/C and IL1B −511C/T polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo and IL1B −511C/T SNP influences its transcript levels leading to increased risk for vitiligo in Gujarat population. Up-regulation of IL1B transcript in patients advocates its possible role in autoimmune pathogenesis of vitiligo. PMID:25221996

MED12 exon 2 mutations in phyllodes tumors of the breast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasawa, Satoi; Maeda, Ichiro; Fukuda, Takayo; Wu, Wenwen; Hayami, Ryosuke; Kojima, Yasuyuki; Tsugawa, Ko-ichiro; Ohta, Tomohiko

2015-01-01

Exon 2 of MED12, a subunit of the transcriptional mediator complex, has been frequently mutated in uterine leiomyomas and breast fibroadenomas; however, it has been rarely mutated in other tumors. Although the mutations were also found in uterine leiomyosarcomas, the frequency was significantly lower than in uterine leiomyomas. Here, we examined the MED12 mutation in phyllodes tumors, another biphasic tumor with epithelial and stromal components related to breast fibroadenomas. Mutations in MED12 exon 2 were analyzed in nine fibroadenomas and eleven phyllodes tumors via Sanger sequencing. A panel of cancer- and sarcoma-related genes was also analyzed using Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing. Six mutations in fibroadenomas, including those previously reported (6/9, 67%), and five mutations in phyllodes tumors (5/11, 45%) were observed. Three mutations in the phyllodes tumors were missense mutations at Gly44, which is common in uterine leiomyomas and breast fibroadenomas. In addition, two deletion mutations (in-frame c.133-144del12 and loss of splice acceptor c.100-68-137del106) were observed in the phyllodes tumors. No other recurrent mutation was observed with next-generation sequencing. Frequent mutations in MED12 exon 2 in the phyllodes tumors suggest that it may share genetic etiology with uterine leiomyoma, a subgroup of uterine leiomyosarcomas and breast fibroadenoma

Control of HIV-1 env RNA splicing and transport: investigating the role of hnRNP A1 in exon splicing silencer (ESS3a) function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asai, Kengo; Platt, Craig; Cochrane, Alan

2003-01-01

The control of HIV-1 viral RNA splicing and transport plays an important role in the successful replication of the virus. Previous studies have identified both an exon splicing enhancer (ESE) and a bipartite exon splicing silencer (ESS3a and ESS3b) within the terminal exon of HIV-1 that are involved in modulating both splicing and Rev-mediated export of viral RNA. To define the mechanism of ESS3a function, experiments were carried out to better define the cis and trans components required for ESS3a activity. Mutations throughout the 30-nt element resulted in partial loss of ESS function. Combining mutations was found to have an additive effect, suggesting the presence of multiple binding sites. Analysis of interacting factors identified hnRNP A1 as one component of the complex that modulates ESS3a activity. However, subsequent binding analyses determined that hnRNP A1 interacts with only one portion of ESS3a, suggesting the involvement of another host factor. Parallel analysis of the effect of the mutations on Rev-mediated export determined that there is not a direct correlation between the effect of the mutations on splicing and RNA transport. Consistent with this hypothesis, replacement of ESS3a with consensus hnRNP A1 binding sites was found to be insufficient to block Rev-mediated RNA export

Molecular genetic tests for JAK2V617F, Exon12_JAK2 and MPLW515K/L are highly informative in the evaluation of patients suspected to have BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, Marcos Tadeu; Mitne-Neto, Miguel; Miyashiro, Kozue; Chauffaille, Maria de Lourdes L Ferrari; Rizzatti, Edgar Gil

2014-02-01

Polycythaemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (MF), are the most common myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) in patients without the BCR-ABL1 gene rearrangement. They are caused by clonal expansion of haematopoietic stem cells and share, as a diagnostic criterion, the identification of JAK2V617F mutation. Classically, when other clinical criteria are present, a JAK2V617F negative case requires the analysis of Exon12_JAK2 for the diagnosis of PV, and of MPL515K/L mutations for the diagnosis of ET and MF. Here, we evaluated 78 samples from Brazilian patients suspected to have MPN, without stratification for PV, ET or MF. We found that 28 (35.9%) are JAK2V617F carriers; from the 50 remaining samples, one (2%) showed an Exon12_JAK2 mutation, and another (2%) was positive for MPLW515L mutation. In summary, the investigation of JAK2V617F, Exon12_JAK2 and MPLW515K/L was relevant for the diagnosis of 38.4% of patients suspected to have BCR-ABL1-negative MPN, suggesting that molecular genetic tests are useful for a quick and unequivocal diagnosis of MPN.

Novel P2 promoter-derived HNF4α isoforms with different N-terminus generated by alternate exon insertion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Jianmin; Levitsky, Lynne L.; Rhoads, David B.

2009-01-01

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is a critical transcription factor for pancreas and liver development and functions in islet β cells to maintain glucose homeostasis. Mutations in the human HNF4A gene lead to maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY1) and polymorphisms are associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Expression of six HNF4α variants, three each from two developmentally regulated promoters, has been firmly established. We have now detected a new set of HNF4α variants designated HNF4α10-12 expressed from distal promoter P2. These variants, generated by inclusion of previously undetected exon 1E (human = 222 nt, rodent = 136 nt) following exon 1D have an altered N-terminus but identical remaining reading frame. HNF4α10-α12 are expressed in pancreatic islets (and liver) and exhibit transactivation potentials similar to the corresponding α7-α9 isoforms. DNA-binding analyses implied much higher protein levels of HNF4α10-α12 in liver than expected from the RT-PCR data. Our results provide evidence for a more complex expression pattern of HNF4α than previously appreciated. We recommend inclusion of exon 1E and nearby DNA sequences in screening for HNF4α mutations and polymorphisms in genetic analyses of MODY1 and T2DM.

Novel P2 promoter-derived HNF4{alpha} isoforms with different N-terminus generated by alternate exon insertion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Jianmin, E-mail: jmhuang@partners.org [Pediatric Endocrine Unit, MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114-2696 (United States); Levitsky, Lynne L. [Pediatric Endocrine Unit, MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114-2696 (United States); Rhoads, David B., E-mail: rhoads@helix.mgh.harvard.edu [Pediatric Endocrine Unit, MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114-2696 (United States)

2009-04-15

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4{alpha} (HNF4{alpha}) is a critical transcription factor for pancreas and liver development and functions in islet {beta} cells to maintain glucose homeostasis. Mutations in the human HNF4A gene lead to maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY1) and polymorphisms are associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Expression of six HNF4{alpha} variants, three each from two developmentally regulated promoters, has been firmly established. We have now detected a new set of HNF4{alpha} variants designated HNF4{alpha}10-12 expressed from distal promoter P2. These variants, generated by inclusion of previously undetected exon 1E (human = 222 nt, rodent = 136 nt) following exon 1D have an altered N-terminus but identical remaining reading frame. HNF4{alpha}10-{alpha}12 are expressed in pancreatic islets (and liver) and exhibit transactivation potentials similar to the corresponding {alpha}7-{alpha}9 isoforms. DNA-binding analyses implied much higher protein levels of HNF4{alpha}10-{alpha}12 in liver than expected from the RT-PCR data. Our results provide evidence for a more complex expression pattern of HNF4{alpha} than previously appreciated. We recommend inclusion of exon 1E and nearby DNA sequences in screening for HNF4{alpha} mutations and polymorphisms in genetic analyses of MODY1 and T2DM.

Exonization of active mouse L1s: a driver of transcriptome evolution?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badge Richard

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1s, L1s have been recently implicated in the regulation of mammalian transcriptomes. Results Here, we show that members of the three active mouse L1 subfamilies (A, GF and TF contain, in addition to those on their sense strands, conserved functional splice sites on their antisense strands, which trigger multiple exonization events. The latter is particularly intriguing in the light of the strong antisense orientation bias of intronic L1s, implying that the toleration of antisense insertions results in an increased potential for exonization. Conclusion In a genome-wide analysis, we have uncovered evidence suggesting that the mobility of the large number of retrotransposition-competent mouse L1s (~2400 potentially active L1s in NCBIm35 has significant potential to shape the mouse transcriptome by continuously generating insertions into transcriptional units.

Folding Landscape of Mutant Huntingtin Exon1: Diffusible Multimers, Oligomers and Fibrils, and No Detectable Monomer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bankanidhi Sahoo

Full Text Available Expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ track of the Huntingtin (HTT protein above 36 is associated with a sharply enhanced risk of Huntington's disease (HD. Although there is general agreement that HTT toxicity resides primarily in N-terminal fragments such as the HTT exon1 protein, there is no consensus on the nature of the physical states of HTT exon1 that are induced by polyQ expansion, nor on which of these states might be responsible for toxicity. One hypothesis is that polyQ expansion induces an alternative, toxic conformation in the HTT exon1 monomer. Alternative hypotheses posit that the toxic species is one of several possible aggregated states. Defining the nature of the toxic species is particularly challenging because of facile interconversion between physical states as well as challenges to identifying these states, especially in vivo. Here we describe the use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS to characterize the detailed time and repeat length dependent self-association of HTT exon1-like fragments both with chemically synthesized peptides in vitro and with cell-produced proteins in extracts and in living cells. We find that, in vitro, mutant HTT exon1 peptides engage in polyQ repeat length dependent dimer and tetramer formation, followed by time dependent formation of diffusible spherical and fibrillar oligomers and finally by larger, sedimentable amyloid fibrils. For expanded polyQ HTT exon1 expressed in PC12 cells, monomers are absent, with tetramers being the smallest molecular form detected, followed in the incubation time course by small, diffusible aggregates at 6-9 hours and larger, sedimentable aggregates that begin to build up at 12 hrs. In these cell cultures, significant nuclear DNA damage appears by 6 hours, followed at later times by caspase 3 induction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death. Our data thus defines limits on the sizes and concentrations of different physical states of HTT exon1 along the

Thorough in silico and in vitro cDNA analysis of 21 putative BRCA1 and BRCA2 splice variants and a complex tandem duplication in BRCA2 allowing the identification of activated cryptic splice donor sites in BRCA2 exon 11.

Science.gov (United States)

Baert, Annelot; Machackova, Eva; Coene, Ilse; Cremin, Carol; Turner, Kristin; Portigal-Todd, Cheryl; Asrat, Marie Jill; Nuk, Jennifer; Mindlin, Allison; Young, Sean; MacMillan, Andree; Van Maerken, Tom; Trbusek, Martin; McKinnon, Wendy; Wood, Marie E; Foulkes, William D; Santamariña, Marta; de la Hoya, Miguel; Foretova, Lenka; Poppe, Bruce; Vral, Anne; Rosseel, Toon; De Leeneer, Kim; Vega, Ana; Claes, Kathleen B M

2018-04-01

For 21 putative BRCA1 and BRCA2 splice site variants, the concordance between mRNA analysis and predictions by in silico programs was evaluated. Aberrant splicing was confirmed for 12 alterations. In silico prediction tools were helpful to determine for which variants cDNA analysis is warranted, however, predictions for variants in the Cartegni consensus region but outside the canonical sites, were less reliable. Learning algorithms like Adaboost and Random Forest outperformed the classical tools. Further validations are warranted prior to implementation of these novel tools in clinical settings. Additionally, we report here for the first time activated cryptic donor sites in the large exon 11 of BRCA2 by evaluating the effect at the cDNA level of a novel tandem duplication (5' breakpoint in intron 4; 3' breakpoint in exon 11) and of a variant disrupting the splice donor site of exon 11 (c.6841+1G > C). Additional sites were predicted, but not activated. These sites warrant further research to increase our knowledge on cis and trans acting factors involved in the conservation of correct transcription of this large exon. This may contribute to adequate design of ASOs (antisense oligonucleotides), an emerging therapy to render cancer cells sensitive to PARP inhibitor and platinum therapies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In-frame mutations in exon 1 of SKI cause dominant Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmignac, Virginie; Thevenon, Julien; Adès, Lesley; Callewaert, Bert; Julia, Sophie; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel; Gueneau, Lucie; Courcet, Jean-Benoit; Lopez, Estelle; Holman, Katherine; Renard, Marjolijn; Plauchu, Henri; Plessis, Ghislaine; De Backer, Julie; Child, Anne; Arno, Gavin; Duplomb, Laurence; Callier, Patrick; Aral, Bernard; Vabres, Pierre; Gigot, Nadège; Arbustini, Eloisa; Grasso, Maurizia; Robinson, Peter N; Goizet, Cyril; Baumann, Clarisse; Di Rocco, Maja; Sanchez Del Pozo, Jaime; Huet, Frédéric; Jondeau, Guillaume; Collod-Beroud, Gwenaëlle; Beroud, Christophe; Amiel, Jeanne; Cormier-Daire, Valérie; Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Boileau, Catherine; De Paepe, Anne; Faivre, Laurence

2012-11-02

Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome (SGS) is characterized by severe marfanoid habitus, intellectual disability, camptodactyly, typical facial dysmorphism, and craniosynostosis. Using family-based exome sequencing, we identified a dominantly inherited heterozygous in-frame deletion in exon 1 of SKI. Direct sequencing of SKI further identified one overlapping heterozygous in-frame deletion and ten heterozygous missense mutations affecting recurrent residues in 18 of the 19 individuals screened for SGS; these individuals included one family affected by somatic mosaicism. All mutations were located in a restricted area of exon 1, within the R-SMAD binding domain of SKI. No mutation was found in a cohort of 11 individuals with other marfanoid-craniosynostosis phenotypes. The interaction between SKI and Smad2/3 and Smad 4 regulates TGF-β signaling, and the pattern of anomalies in Ski-deficient mice corresponds to the clinical manifestations of SGS. These findings define SGS as a member of the family of diseases associated with the TGF-β-signaling pathway. Copyright © 2012 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low incidence of germline mutation in BRCA1 Exon 11 among early-onset and familial Filipino breast cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nato, Alejandro Q. Jr; Deocaris, Custer C.; Sajise, Sheila C.

2002-01-01

Breast cancer susceptibility gene, type 1 (BRCA1) has been thought to be responsible for about 45% of families with multiple breast carcinoma cases and for more than 80% of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) families. About 61-75% of the reported distinct alterations that result in truncated protein products have been found in exon 11 which comprises 61% (3427bp) of the coding sequence of BRCA1(5592bp). Protein truncation test (PTT) has become a popular method as an efficient means of screening mutations in a coding sequence that lead to a truncated protein product. In this study, 34 early-onset and/or familial breast cancer (FBC) patients were investigated. Twenty-six patients are early-onset B(o)C cases (diagnosed≤40 years old), 14 of which have familiality of the disease. Among the 8 patients that have been diagnosed above 40 years old, 7 have familial clustering. Through radioactive PTT analysis of the 34 BC cases in a 5-20% denaturing gradient polyacrylamide gel, we found only one mutation in exon 11 having a 29.7 kDa truncated protein product. Our results corroborate the findings of a recently reported study of unselected incident breast cancer cases in the Philippines where the prevalence of BRCA1 mutation is also low. This would, however, be the second documented mutation in BRCA1 exon 11 in a Filipino BC patient since 1998. (author)

RNA-Seq profiling reveals novel hepatic gene expression pattern in aflatoxin B1 treated rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, B Alex; Phadke, Dhiral P; Auerbach, Scott S; Mav, Deepak; Stiegelmeyer, Suzy M; Shah, Ruchir R; Tice, Raymond R

2013-01-01

Deep sequencing was used to investigate the subchronic effects of 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a potent hepatocarcinogen, on the male rat liver transcriptome prior to onset of histopathological lesions or tumors. We hypothesized RNA-Seq would reveal more differentially expressed genes (DEG) than microarray analysis, including low copy and novel transcripts related to AFB1's carcinogenic activity compared to feed controls (CTRL). Paired-end reads were mapped to the rat genome (Rn4) with TopHat and further analyzed by DESeq and Cufflinks-Cuffdiff pipelines to identify differentially expressed transcripts, new exons and unannotated transcripts. PCA and cluster analysis of DEGs showed clear separation between AFB1 and CTRL treatments and concordance among group replicates. qPCR of eight high and medium DEGs and three low DEGs showed good comparability among RNA-Seq and microarray transcripts. DESeq analysis identified 1,026 differentially expressed transcripts at greater than two-fold change (p<0.005) compared to 626 transcripts by microarray due to base pair resolution of transcripts by RNA-Seq, probe placement within transcripts or an absence of probes to detect novel transcripts, splice variants and exons. Pathway analysis among DEGs revealed signaling of Ahr, Nrf2, GSH, xenobiotic, cell cycle, extracellular matrix, and cell differentiation networks consistent with pathways leading to AFB1 carcinogenesis, including almost 200 upregulated transcripts controlled by E2f1-related pathways related to kinetochore structure, mitotic spindle assembly and tissue remodeling. We report 49 novel, differentially-expressed transcripts including confirmation by PCR-cloning of two unique, unannotated, hepatic AFB1-responsive transcripts (HAfT's) on chromosomes 1.q55 and 15.q11, overexpressed by 10 to 25-fold. Several potentially novel exons were found and exon refinements were made including AFB1 exon-specific induction of homologous family members, Ugt1a6 and Ugt1a7c. We find the

The role of germline promoters and I exons in cytokine-induced gene-specific class switch recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunnick, Wesley A; Shi, Jian; Holden, Victoria; Fontaine, Clinton; Collins, John T

2011-01-01

Germline transcription precedes class switch recombination (CSR). The promoter regions and I exons of these germline transcripts include binding sites for activation- and cytokine-induced transcription factors, and the promoter regions/I exons are essential for CSR. Therefore, it is a strong hypothesis that the promoter/I exons regions are responsible for much of cytokine-regulated, gene-specific CSR. We tested this hypothesis by swapping the germline promoter and I exons for the murine γ1 and γ2a H chain genes in a transgene of the entire H chain C-region locus. We found that the promoter/I exon for γ1 germline transcripts can direct robust IL-4-induced recombination to the γ2a gene. In contrast, the promoter/I exon for the γ2a germline transcripts works poorly in the context of the γ1 H chain gene, resulting in expression of γ1 H chains that is level. Nevertheless, the small amount of recombination to the chimeric γ1 gene is induced by IFN-γ. These results suggest that cytokine regulation of CSR, but not the magnitude of CSR, is regulated by the promoter/I exons.

Determination of exon 7 SMN1 deletion in Iranian patients and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In consideration of these defects and in line with the latter references, we have ... master mix (Roche, Mannheim, Germany), 5 ng of genomic. DNA, and 10 pmol of .... PCR test which can evaluate comprehensively the status of. SMN1 exon 7 ...

JAK2 V617F, MPL W515L and JAK2 Exon 12 Mutations in Chinese Patients with Primary Myelofibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Lu, Mi-Ze; Jiang, Yuan-Qiang; Yang, Guo-Hua; Zhuang, Yun; Sun, Hong-Li; Shen, Yun-Feng

2012-03-01

JAK2 V617F, MPL W515L and JAK2 exon 12 mutations are novel acquired mutations that induce constitutive cytokine-independent activation of the JAK-STAT pathway in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). The discovery of these mutations provides novel mechanism for activation of signal transduction in hematopoietic malignancies. This research was to investigate their prevalence in Chinese patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF). We introduced allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) combined with sequence analysis to simultaneously screen JAK2 V617F, MPL W515L and JAK2 exon 12 mutations in 30 patients with PMF. Fifteen PMF patients (50.0%) carried JAK2 V617F mutation, and only two JAK2 V617F-negative patients (6.7%) harbored MPL W515L mutation. None had JAK2 exon 12 mutations. Furthermore, these three mutations were not detected in 50 healthy controls. MPL W515L and JAK2 V617F mutations existed in PMF patients but JAK2 exon 12 mutations not. JAK2 V617F and MPL W515L and mutations might contribute to the primary molecular pathogenesis in patients with PMF.

Molecular characterization of NRXN1 deletions from 19,263 clinical microarray cases identifies exons important for neurodevelopmental disease expression

Science.gov (United States)

Lowther, Chelsea; Speevak, Marsha; Armour, Christine M.; Goh, Elaine S.; Graham, Gail E.; Li, Chumei; Zeesman, Susan; Nowaczyk, Malgorzata J.M.; Schultz, Lee-Anne; Morra, Antonella; Nicolson, Rob; Bikangaga, Peter; Samdup, Dawa; Zaazou, Mostafa; Boyd, Kerry; Jung, Jack H.; Siu, Victoria; Rajguru, Manjulata; Goobie, Sharan; Tarnopolsky, Mark A.; Prasad, Chitra; Dick, Paul T.; Hussain, Asmaa S.; Walinga, Margreet; Reijenga, Renske G.; Gazzellone, Matthew; Lionel, Anath C.; Marshall, Christian R.; Scherer, Stephen W.; Stavropoulos, Dimitri J.; McCready, Elizabeth; Bassett, Anne S.

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to assess the penetrance of NRXN1 deletions. Methods We compared the prevalence and genomic extent of NRXN1 deletions identified among 19,263 clinically referred cases to that of 15,264 controls. The burden of additional clinically relevant CNVs was used as a proxy to estimate the relative penetrance of NRXN1 deletions. Results We identified 41 (0.21%) previously unreported exonic NRXN1 deletions ascertained for developmental delay/intellectual disability, significantly greater than in controls [OR=8.14 (95% CI 2.91–22.72), p< 0.0001)]. Ten (22.7%) of these had a second clinically relevant CNV. Subjects with a deletion near the 3′ end of NRXN1 were significantly more likely to have a second rare CNV than subjects with a 5′ NRXN1 deletion [OR=7.47 (95% CI 2.36–23.61), p=0.0006]. The prevalence of intronic NRXN1 deletions was not statistically different between cases and controls (p=0.618). The majority (63.2%) of intronic NRXN1 deletion cases had a second rare CNV, a two-fold greater prevalence than for exonic NRXN1 deletion cases (p=0.0035). Conclusions The results support the importance of exons near the 5′ end of NRXN1 in the expression of neurodevelopmental disorders. Intronic NRXN1 deletions do not appear to substantially increase the risk for clinical phenotypes. PMID:27195815

A novel KCNQ1 nonsense variant in the isoform-specific first exon causes both jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome 1 and long QT syndrome 1: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, Motoi; Ueda, Marehiko; Ebata, Ryota; Utsuno, Emi; Ishii, Takuma; Matsushita, Kazuyuki; Ohara, Osamu; Shimojo, Naoki; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Nomura, Fumio

2017-06-08

According to previous KCNQ1 (potassium channel, voltage gated, KQT-like subfamily, member 1) gene screening studies, missense variants, but not nonsense or frame-shift variants, cause the majority of long QT syndrome (LQTS; Romano-Ward syndrome [RWS]) 1 cases. Several missense variants are reported to cause RWS by a dominant-negative mechanism, and some KCNQ1 variants can cause both Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome (JLNS; in an autosomal recessive manner) and LQTS1 (in an autosomal dominant manner), while other KCNQ1 variants cause only JLNS. The human KCNQ1 gene is known to have two transcript isoforms (kidney isoform and pancreas isoform), and both isoforms can form a functional cardiac potassium channel. Here, we report a novel nonsense KCNQ1 variant causing not only JLNS, but also significant QTc prolongation identical to RWS in an autosomal dominant manner. Our case study supports that haploinsufficiency in the KCNQ1 gene is causative of significant QTc prolongation identical to RWS. Interestingly, the nonsense variant (NM_000218.2:c.115G > T [p.Glu39X]) locates in exon 1a of KCNQ1, which is a kidney-isoform specific exon. The variant is located closer to the N-terminus than previously identified nonsense or frame-shift variants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a nonsense variant in exon 1a of KCNQ1, which is the kidney-isoform specific exon, causes JLNS. Our findings may be informative to the genetic pathogenesis of RWS and JLNS caused by KCNQ1 variants.

Association of CYP1B1 Polymorphisms with Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study in the Han Population in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, P. R. China

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Haiyan; Liu, Chunlian; Guo, Weidong; Peng, Liang; Chen, Yintao; Martin, Francis L.

2010-01-01

Studies investigating possible associations between cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) polymorphisms and breast cancer risk have been inconsistent. We set out to ascertain whether there might be an association between polymorphisms in exon 2 (codon 119, G→T) and exon 3 (codon 432, G→C) of CYP1B1 and breast cancer in a Chinese Han population in the rural region of Ningxia. Using an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method and direct DNA sequencing, the presence or absence of the two CYP1B1 polymorphisms was investigated. Genotype and allele frequencies were analyzed in breast cancer cases (n = 152) and healthy age-matched controls (n = 156). The odds ratio (OR) of 119G→T or 432G→C in breast cancer cases and controls was 3.3 (95% CI: 1.28 to 8.28) and 2.8 (95% CI: 1.04 to 7.51), respectively. In addition, the OR for people with both polymorphisms (119T and 432C) was 4.69 (95% CI: 1.97 to 11.19). Our results suggest that certain polymorphisms in the CYP1B1 gene might increase risk for breast cancer among Han Chinese, perhaps because they influence the efficiency of CYP1B1 bio-transformation of oestrogens or pro-carcinogens into DNA-reactive electrophiles that may act as cancer-initiating agents. PMID:20212917

Characterization of six mutations in Exon 37 of neurofibromatosis type 1 gene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upadhyaya, M.; Osborn, M.; Maynard, J.; Harper, P. [Institute of Medical Genetics, Cardiff, Wales (United Kingdom)

1996-07-26

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. 17 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Synthesis of 9H-Indeno [1, 2-b] Pyrazine and 11H-Indeno [1, 2-b ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NICO

Synthesis of 9H-Indeno [1, 2-b] Pyrazine and. 11H-Indeno [1, 2-b] Quinoxaline Derivatives in. One-step Reaction from 2-Bromo-4-chloro-1-indanone. S. Jasouri1,2, J. Khalafy1,*, M. Badali2 and R.H. Prager3. 1Department of Chemistry, Urmia University, Urmia 57154, Iran. 2Daana Pharmaceutical Co., P.O. Box 5181, Tabriz ...

Neonatal Marfan syndrome caused by an exon 25 mutation of the fibrillin-1 gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Elçioglu, N H; Akalin, F; Elçioglu, M; Comeglio, P; Child, A H

2004-01-01

Neonatal Marfan syndrome caused by an exon 25 mutation of the Fibrillin-1 gene: We describe a male infant with severe arachnodactyly, hypermobility of the fingers, flexion contractures of elbows, wrists, hips, and knees, microretrognathia, crumpled ears, rockerbottom feet, loose redundant skin, and lens dislocations. Cardiac valve insufficiency and aortic dilatation resulted in cardiac failure, decompensated with digitalisation and death occurred at the age of 4 months. This case represents the severe end of the clinical spectrum of Marfan syndrome, namely neonatal Marfan syndrome. Molecular diagnostic analyses confirmed a de novo exon 25 mutation in the FBN1 gene.

Reduced expression of APC-1B but not APC-1A by the deletion of promoter 1B is responsible for familial adenomatous polyposis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Kiyoshi; Nagayama, Satoshi; Shimizu, Eigo; Komura, Mitsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Rui; Shibuya, Tetsuo; Arai, Masami; Hatakeyama, Seira; Ikenoue, Tsuneo; Ueno, Masashi; Miyano, Satoru; Imoto, Seiya; Furukawa, Yoichi

2016-05-24

Germline mutations in the tumor suppressor gene APC are associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Here we applied whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to the DNA of a sporadic FAP patient in which we did not find any pathological APC mutations by direct sequencing. WGS identified a promoter deletion of approximately 10 kb encompassing promoter 1B and exon1B of APC. Additional allele-specific expression analysis by deep cDNA sequencing revealed that the deletion reduced the expression of the mutated APC allele to as low as 11.2% in the total APC transcripts, suggesting that the residual mutant transcripts were driven by other promoter(s). Furthermore, cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE) demonstrated that the deleted promoter 1B region is responsible for the great majority of APC transcription in many tissues except the brain. The deletion decreased the transcripts of APC-1B to 39-45% in the patient compared to the healthy controls, but it did not decrease those of APC-1A. Different deletions including promoter 1B have been reported in FAP patients. Taken together, our results strengthen the evidence that analysis of structural variations in promoter 1B should be considered for the FAP patients whose pathological mutations are not identified by conventional direct sequencing.

Dissecting an alternative splicing analysis workflow for GeneChip® Exon 1.0 ST Affymetrix arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calogero Raffaele A

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A new microarray platform (GeneChip® Exon 1.0 ST has recently been developed by Affymetrix http://www.affymetrix.com. This microarray platform changes the conventional view of transcript analysis since it allows the evaluation of the expression level of a transcript by querying each exon component. The Exon 1.0 ST platform does however raise some issues regarding the approaches to be used in identifying genome-wide alternative splicing events (ASEs. In this study an exon-level data analysis workflow is dissected in order to detect limit and strength of each step, thus modifying the overall workflow and thereby optimizing the detection of ASEs. Results This study was carried out using a semi-synthetic exon-skipping benchmark experiment embedding a total of 268 exon skipping events. Our results point out that summarization methods (RMA, PLIER do not affect the efficacy of statistical tools in detecting ASEs. However, data pre-filtering is mandatory if the detected number of false ASEs are to be reduced. MiDAS and Rank Product methods efficiently detect true ASEs but they suffer from the lack of multiple test error correction. The intersection of MiDAS and Rank Product results efficiently moderates the detection of false ASEs. Conclusion To optimize the detection of ASEs we propose the following workflow: i data pre-filtering, ii statistical selection of ASEs using both MiDAS and Rank Product, iii intersection of results derived from the two statistical analyses in order to moderate family-wise errors (FWER.

Alternative-splicing in the exon-10 region of GABA(A receptor beta(2 subunit gene: relationships between novel isoforms and psychotic disorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cunyou Zhao

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in GABRB2, the gene for beta(2-subunit of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A receptor, have been associated with schizophrenia (SCZ and quantitatively correlated to mRNA expression and alternative splicing. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Expression of the Exon 10 region of GABRB2 from minigene constructs revealed this region to be an "alternative splicing hotspot" that readily gave rise to differently spliced isoforms depending on intron sequences. This led to a search in human brain cDNA libraries, and the discovery of two novel isoforms, beta(2S1 and beta(2S2, bearing variations in the neighborhood of Exon-10. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of postmortem brain samples showed increased beta(2S1 expression and decreased beta(2S2 expression in both SCZ and bipolar disorder (BPD compared to controls. Disease-control differences were significantly correlated with SNP rs187269 in BPD males for both beta(2S1 and beta(2S2 expressions, and significantly correlated with SNPs rs2546620 and rs187269 in SCZ males for beta(2S2 expression. Moreover, site-directed mutagenesis indicated that Thr(365, a potential phosphorylation site in Exon-10, played a key role in determining the time profile of the ATP-dependent electrophysiological current run-down. CONCLUSION: This study therefore provided experimental evidence for the importance of non-coding sequences in the Exon-10 region in GABRB2 with respect to beta(2-subunit splicing diversity and the etiologies of SCZ and BPD.

The NRG1 exon 11 missense variant is not associated with autism in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fallas Marietha

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We are conducting a genetic study of autism in the isolated population of the Central Valley of Costa Rica (CVCR. A novel Neuregulin 1 (NRG1 missense variant (exon 11 G>T was recently associated with psychosis and schizophrenia (SCZ in the same population isolate. Methods We genotyped the NRG1 exon 11 missense variant in 146 cases with autism, or autism spectrum disorder, with CVCR ancestry, and both parents when available (N = 267 parents from 143 independent families. Additional microsatellites were genotyped to examine haplotypes bearing the exon 11 variant. Results The NRG1 exon 11 G>T variant was found in 4/146 cases including one de novo occurrence. The frequency of the variant in case chromosomes was 0.014 and 0.045 in the parental non-transmitted chromosomes. At least 6 haplotypes extending 0.229 Mb were associated with the T allele. Three independent individuals, with no personal or family history of psychiatric disorder, shared at least a 1 megabase haplotype 5' to the T allele. Conclusion The NRG1 exon 11 missense variant is not associated with autism in the CVCR.

In vivo vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs increases ascorbate transporters in liver but not kidney and brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Søgaard, Ditte; Lindblad, Maiken M; Paidi, Maya D; Hasselholt, Stine; Lykkesfeldt, Jens; Tveden-Nyborg, Pernille

2014-07-01

Moderate vitamin C (vitC) deficiency (plasma concentrations less than 23 μmol/L) affects as much as 10% of adults in the Western World and has been associated with an increased mortality in disease complexes such as cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome. The distribution of vitC within the body is subjected to complex and nonlinear pharmacokinetics and largely depends on the sodium-dependent vitC-specific transporters, sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 1 (SVCT1) and sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2). Although currently not established, it is likely to expect that a state of deficiency may affect the expression of these transporters to preserve vitC concentrations in specific target tissues. We hypothesized that diet-induced states of vitC deficiency lead to alterations in the messenger RNA (mRNA) and/or protein expression of vitC transporters, thereby regulating vitC tissue distribution. Using guinea pigs as a validated model, this study investigated the effects of a diet-induced vitC deficiency (100 mg vitC/kg feed) or depletion (0 mg vitC/kg feed) on the expression of transporters SVCT1 and SVCT2 in selected tissues and the transport from plasma to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In deficient animals, SVCT1 was increased in the liver, whereas a decreased SVCT1 expression but increased SVCT2 mRNA in livers of depleted animals suggests a shift in transporter expression as response to the diet. In CSF, a constant plasma:CSF ratio shows unaltered vitC transport irrespective of dietary regime. The study adds novel information to the complex regulation maintaining vitC homeostasis in vivo during states of deficiency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CELF1 preferentially binds to exon-intron boundary and regulates alternative splicing in HeLa cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Heng; Chen, Dong; Wu, Qijia; Wu, Gang; Zhou, Yanhong; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Libin

2017-09-01

The current RIP-seq approach has been developed for the identification of genome-wide interaction between RNA binding protein (RBP) and the bound RNA transcripts, but still rarely for identifying its binding sites. In this study, we performed RIP-seq experiments in HeLa cells using a monoclonal antibody against CELF1. Mapping of the RIP-seq reads showed a biased distribution at the 3'UTR and intronic regions. A total of 15,285 and 1384 CELF1-specific sense and antisense peaks were identified using the ABLIRC software tool. Our bioinformatics analyses revealed that 5' and 3' splice site motifs and GU-rich motifs were highly enriched in the CELF1-bound peaks. Furthermore, transcriptome analyses revealed that alternative splicing was globally regulated by CELF1 in HeLa cells. For example, the inclusion of exon 16 of LMO7 gene, a marker gene of breast cancer, is positively regulated by CELF1. Taken together, we have shown that RIP-seq data can be used to decipher RBP binding sites and reveal an unexpected landscape of the genome-wide CELF1-RNA interactions in HeLa cells. In addition, we found that CELF1 globally regulates the alternative splicing by binding the exon-intron boundary in HeLa cells, which will deepen our understanding of the regulatory roles of CELF1 in the pre-mRNA splicing process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Two genetic determinants acquired late in Mus evolution regulate the inclusion of exon 5, which alters mouse APOBEC3 translation efficiency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Li

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Mouse apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like editing complex 3 (mA3, an intracellular antiviral factor, has 2 allelic variations that are linked with different susceptibilities to beta- and gammaretrovirus infections among various mouse strains. In virus-resistant C57BL/6 (B6 mice, mA3 transcripts are more abundant than those in susceptible BALB/c mice both in the spleen and bone marrow. These strains of mice also express mA3 transcripts with different splicing patterns: B6 mice preferentially express exon 5-deficient (Δ5 mA3 mRNA, while BALB/c mice produce exon 5-containing full-length mA3 mRNA as the major transcript. Although the protein product of the Δ5 mRNA exerts stronger antiretroviral activities than the full-length protein, how exon 5 affects mA3 antiviral activity, as well as the genetic mechanisms regulating exon 5 inclusion into the mA3 transcripts, remains largely uncharacterized. Here we show that mA3 exon 5 is indeed a functional element that influences protein synthesis at a post-transcriptional level. We further employed in vitro splicing assays using genomic DNA clones to identify two critical polymorphisms affecting the inclusion of exon 5 into mA3 transcripts: the number of TCCT repeats upstream of exon 5 and the single nucleotide polymorphism within exon 5 located 12 bases upstream of the exon 5/intron 5 boundary. Distribution of the above polymorphisms among different Mus species indicates that the inclusion of exon 5 into mA3 mRNA is a relatively recent event in the evolution of mice. The widespread geographic distribution of this exon 5-including genetic variant suggests that in some Mus populations the cost of maintaining an effective but mutagenic enzyme may outweigh its antiviral function.

RNA-Seq profiling reveals novel hepatic gene expression pattern in aflatoxin B1 treated rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B Alex Merrick

Full Text Available Deep sequencing was used to investigate the subchronic effects of 1 ppm aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, a potent hepatocarcinogen, on the male rat liver transcriptome prior to onset of histopathological lesions or tumors. We hypothesized RNA-Seq would reveal more differentially expressed genes (DEG than microarray analysis, including low copy and novel transcripts related to AFB1's carcinogenic activity compared to feed controls (CTRL. Paired-end reads were mapped to the rat genome (Rn4 with TopHat and further analyzed by DESeq and Cufflinks-Cuffdiff pipelines to identify differentially expressed transcripts, new exons and unannotated transcripts. PCA and cluster analysis of DEGs showed clear separation between AFB1 and CTRL treatments and concordance among group replicates. qPCR of eight high and medium DEGs and three low DEGs showed good comparability among RNA-Seq and microarray transcripts. DESeq analysis identified 1,026 differentially expressed transcripts at greater than two-fold change (p<0.005 compared to 626 transcripts by microarray due to base pair resolution of transcripts by RNA-Seq, probe placement within transcripts or an absence of probes to detect novel transcripts, splice variants and exons. Pathway analysis among DEGs revealed signaling of Ahr, Nrf2, GSH, xenobiotic, cell cycle, extracellular matrix, and cell differentiation networks consistent with pathways leading to AFB1 carcinogenesis, including almost 200 upregulated transcripts controlled by E2f1-related pathways related to kinetochore structure, mitotic spindle assembly and tissue remodeling. We report 49 novel, differentially-expressed transcripts including confirmation by PCR-cloning of two unique, unannotated, hepatic AFB1-responsive transcripts (HAfT's on chromosomes 1.q55 and 15.q11, overexpressed by 10 to 25-fold. Several potentially novel exons were found and exon refinements were made including AFB1 exon-specific induction of homologous family members, Ugt1a6 and Ugt1a7c

A novel CYP27B1 mutation causes a feline vitamin D-dependent rickets type IA.

Science.gov (United States)

Grahn, Robert A; Ellis, Melanie R; Grahn, Jennifer C; Lyons, Leslie A

2012-08-01

A 12-week-old domestic cat presented at a local veterinary clinic with hypocalcemia and skeletal abnormalities suggestive of rickets. Osteomalacia (rickets) is a disease caused by impaired bone mineralization leading to an increased prevalence of fractures and deformity. Described in a variety of species, rickets is most commonly caused by vitamin D or calcium deficiencies owing to both environmental and or genetic abnormalities. Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1A (VDDR-1A) is a result of the enzymatic pathway defect caused by mutations in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3)-1-alpha-hydroxylase gene [cytochrome P27 B1 (CYP27B1)]. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D(3), regulates calcium homeostasis, which requires sufficient dietary calcium availability and correct hormonal function for proper bone growth and maintenance. Patient calcitriol concentrations were low while calcidiol levels were normal suggestive of VDDR-1A. The entire DNA coding sequencing of CYP27B1 was evaluated. The affected cat was wild type for previously identified VDDR-1A causative mutations. However, six novel mutations were identified, one of which was a nonsense mutation at G637T in exon 4. The exon 4 G637T nonsense mutation results in a premature protein truncation, changing a glutamic acid to a stop codon, E213X, likely causing the clinical presentation of rickets. The previously documented genetic mutation resulting in feline VDDR-1A rickets, as well as the case presented in this research, result from novel exon 4 CYP27B1 mutations, thus exon 4 should be the initial focus of future sequencing efforts.

Functional understanding of the diverse exon-intron structures of human GPCR genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Dorothy A; Olman, Victor; Xu, Ying

2014-02-01

The GPCR genes have a variety of exon-intron structures even though their proteins are all structurally homologous. We have examined all human GPCR genes with at least two functional protein isoforms, totaling 199, aiming to gain an understanding of what may have contributed to the large diversity of the exon-intron structures of the GPCR genes. The 199 genes have a total of 808 known protein splicing isoforms with experimentally verified functions. Our analysis reveals that 1301 (80.6%) adjacent exon-exon pairs out of the total of 1,613 in the 199 genes have either exactly one exon skipped or the intron in-between retained in at least one of the 808 protein splicing isoforms. This observation has a statistical significance p-value of 2.051762 * e(-09), assuming that the observed splicing isoforms are independent of the exon-intron structures. Our interpretation of this observation is that the exon boundaries of the GPCR genes are not randomly determined; instead they may be selected to facilitate specific alternative splicing for functional purposes.

Isolation and Characterization of Plantaricin Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum Strains (IIA-1A5, IIA-1B1, IIA-2B2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. I. Arief

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Bacteriocins produced by Indonesian lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum IIA-1A5, IIA-1B1, IIA-2B2 were purified and characterized. Plantaricin W gene had been successfully amplified from all strains. This amplicon showed the expected 200 bp size of plantaricin W gene. This bacteriocins purified from L. plantarum IIA-1A5, IIA-1B1, and IIA-2B2 were named plantaricin IIA-1A5, IIA-1B1, and IIA-2B2. Purification by cation exchange chromatography increased the purity (fold and activity of plantaricins. Purity of plantaricin IIA-1A5 was increased by 3.13 fold with specific activity 13.40 AU/mg. Plantaricin IIA-1B1 had 2.98 fold purity with specific activity 5.12 AU/mg, while purity of plantaricin IIA-2B2 was 1.37 fold with specific activity 7.70 AU/mg. All plantaricins could inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. Plantaricins could be digested by trypsin. Stability of plantaricins at 80 oC for 30 min and at 121 oC for 15 min were affected by type of plantaricin and species of pathogenic bacteria. Generally, plantaricin IIA-1A5 was better as antimicrobial agent than plantaricin IIA-1B1 and plantaricin IIA-2B2.

Association of neuropeptide Y (NPY, interleukin-1B (IL1B genetic variants and correlation of IL1B transcript levels with vitiligo susceptibility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naresh C Laddha

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a depigmenting disorder resulting from loss of functional melanocytes in the skin. NPY plays an important role in induction of immune response by acting on a variety of immune cells. NPY synthesis and release is governed by IL1B. Moreover, genetic variability in IL1B is reported to be associated with elevated NPY levels. OBJECTIVES: Aim of the present study was to explore NPY promoter -399T/C (rs16147 and exon2 +1128T/C (rs16139 polymorphisms as well as IL1B promoter -511C/T (rs16944 polymorphism and to correlate IL1B transcript levels with vitiligo. METHODS: PCR-RFLP method was used to genotype NPY -399T/C SNP in 454 patients and 1226 controls; +1128T/C SNP in 575 patients and 1279 controls and IL1B -511C/T SNP in 448 patients and 785 controls from Gujarat. IL1B transcript levels in blood were also assessed in 105 controls and 95 patients using real-time PCR. RESULTS: Genotype and allele frequencies for NPY -399T/C, +1128T/C and IL1B -511C/T SNPs differed significantly (p<0.0001, p<0.0001; p = 0.0161, p = 0.0035 and p<0.0001, p<0.0001 between patients and controls. 'TC' haplotype containing minor alleles of NPY polymorphisms was significantly higher in patients and increased the risk of vitiligo by 2.3 fold (p<0.0001. Transcript levels of IL1B were significantly higher, in patients compared to controls (p = 0.0029, in patients with active than stable vitiligo (p = 0.015, also in female patients than male patients (p = 0.026. Genotype-phenotype correlation showed moderate association of IL1B -511C/T polymorphism with higher IL1B transcript levels. Trend analysis revealed significant difference between patients and controls for IL1B transcript levels with respect to different genotypes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that NPY -399T/C, +1128T/C and IL1B -511C/T polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo and IL1B -511C/T SNP influences its transcript levels leading to increased risk for vitiligo in

Missense mutation in exon 2 of SLC36A1 responsible for champagne dilution in horses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah Cook

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Champagne coat color in horses is controlled by a single, autosomal-dominant gene (CH. The phenotype produced by this gene is valued by many horse breeders, but can be difficult to distinguish from the effect produced by the Cream coat color dilution gene (CR. Three sires and their families segregating for CH were tested by genome scanning with microsatellite markers. The CH gene was mapped within a 6 cM region on horse chromosome 14 (LOD = 11.74 for theta = 0.00. Four candidate genes were identified within the region, namely SPARC [Secreted protein, acidic, cysteine-rich (osteonectin], SLC36A1 (Solute Carrier 36 family A1, SLC36A2 (Solute Carrier 36 family A2, and SLC36A3 (Solute Carrier 36 family A3. SLC36A3 was not expressed in skin tissue and therefore not considered further. The other three genes were sequenced in homozygotes for CH and homozygotes for the absence of the dilution allele (ch. SLC36A1 had a nucleotide substitution in exon 2 for horses with the champagne phenotype, which resulted in a transition from a threonine amino acid to an arginine amino acid (T63R. The association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP with the champagne dilution phenotype was complete, as determined by the presence of the nucleotide variant among all 85 horses with the champagne dilution phenotype and its absence among all 97 horses without the champagne phenotype. This is the first description of a phenotype associated with the SLC36A1 gene.

Origins and Impacts of New Mammalian Exons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason J. Merkin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Mammalian genes are composed of exons, but the evolutionary origins and functions of new internal exons are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed patterns of exon gain using deep cDNA sequencing data from five mammals and one bird, identifying thousands of species- and lineage-specific exons. Most new exons derived from unique rather than repetitive intronic sequence. Unlike exons conserved across mammals, species-specific internal exons were mostly located in 5′ UTRs and alternatively spliced. They were associated with upstream intronic deletions, increased nucleosome occupancy, and RNA polymerase II pausing. Genes containing new internal exons had increased gene expression, but only in tissues in which the exon was included. Increased expression correlated with the level of exon inclusion, promoter proximity, and signatures of cotranscriptional splicing. Altogether, these findings suggest that increased splicing at the 5′ ends of genes enhances expression and that changes in 5′ end splicing alter gene expression between tissues and between species.

Becker muscular dystrophy with widespread muscle hypertrophy and a non-sense mutation of exon 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Witting, N; Duno, M; Vissing, J

2013-01-01

Becker muscular dystrophy features progressive proximal weakness, wasting and often focal hypertrophy. We present a patient with pain and cramps from adolescence. Widespread muscle hypertrophy, preserved muscle strength and a 10-20-fold raised CPK were noted. Muscle biopsy was dystrophic, and Western blot showed a 95% reduction of dystrophin levels. Genetic analyses revealed a non-sense mutation in exon 2 of the dystrophin gene. This mutation is predicted to result in a Duchenne phenotype, but resulted in a mild Becker muscular dystrophy with widespread muscle hypertrophy. We suggest that this unusual phenotype is caused by translation re-initiation downstream from the mutation site. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of MPL exon10 mutations in 103 Chinese patients with JAK2V617F-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiuhua; Qi, Xiling; Tan, Yanhong; Xu, Zhifang; Xu, Aining; Zhang, Linlin; Wang, Hongwei

2011-06-15

JAK2V617F mutation has been reported in 90% of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and about 50% of patients with essential thromobocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). Recently, acquired mutations in the transmembrane-juxtamembrane region of MPL (MPLW515 mutations) have been reported in approximately 5% of JAK2V617F-negative PMF and about 1% of all cases of ET. MPL is the receptor for thrombopoietin that regulates the production of platelets by bone marrow. It is likely that some mutations more closely related to ET in MPL exon10 may have been missed by current assays. We inferred that there might be other mutations in MPL exon10 for MPN patients in addition to MPLW515 mutations. To investigate its mutation types and prevalence in Chinese patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), we performed mutation detection on MPL exon10 in 103 JAK2V617F-negative MPN patients by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) combined with sequencing. As a result, one previously unrecognized MPL mutation (12-bp in-frame insertion) was identified in one patient with ET in addition to an MPLW515K mutation identified in one PMF patient. This confirms our hypothesis that BCR/ABL negative and JAK2V617F-negative MPN patients have other mutations besides W515 mutation in MPL exon10 and mutations other than single nucleotide exchange also exist. In addition, MPL mutation was associated with Chinese MPN patients. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal changes in glucocorticoid receptor exon 1F methylation and psychopathology after military deployment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schür, R R; Boks, M P; Rutten, Bart P. F.; Daskalakis, N.P.; de Nijs, Laurence; van Zuiden, M.; Kavelaars, A; Heijnen, C J; Joëls, M; Kahn, R S; Geuze, E; Vermetten, E; Vinkers, C H

2017-01-01

Several cross-sectional studies have demonstrated the relevance of DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor exon 1F region (GR-1F) for trauma-related psychopathology. We conducted a longitudinal study to examine GR-1F methylation changes over time in relation to trauma exposure and the

Longitudinal changes in glucocorticoid receptor exon 1(F) methylation and psychopathology after military deployment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schür, R. R.; Boks, M. P.; Rutten, B. P. F.; Daskalakis, N. P.; de Nijs, L.; van Zuiden, M.; Kavelaars, A.; Heijnen, C. J.; Joëls, M.; Kahn, R. S.; Geuze, E.; Vermetten, E.; Vinkers, C. H.

2017-01-01

Several cross-sectional studies have demonstrated the relevance of DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor exon 1(F) region (GR-1(F)) for trauma-related psychopathology. We conducted a longitudinal study to examine GR-1(F) methylation changes over time in relation to trauma exposure and the

Exonic deletion of OPHN1 resulting in seizures, intellectual disability, and brain malformations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larson A

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Austin Larson,1 Jamie LeRoux,2 Ellen Roy Elias11Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; 2Colorado Genetics Laboratory, Denver, CO, USAAbstract: We report the case of a 9-year-old boy with autism, intellectual disability, and complex partial seizures as well as cerebellar vermian hypoplasia, caudate nucleus hypoplasia, and ventriculomegaly. He was found to have a deletion within the oligophrenin 1 gene (OPHN1, affecting exons 2–5. OPHN1 mutations result in a rare but well-characterized syndrome of neuroanatomical anomalies, epilepsy, and intellectual disability. This is a novel mutation in OPHN1 that adds to the spectrum of pathogenic variants of the gene. Additionally, the case illustrates the significant benefit that patients and families can derive from a definitive genetic diagnosis, even in the absence of direct therapeutic interventions.Keywords: X-linked intellectual disability, autism, cerebellar hypoplasia, chromosomal microarray, oligophrenin 1

Novel homozygous VHL mutation in exon 2 is associated with congenital polycythemia but not with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanikova, Lucie; Lorenzo, Felipe; Yang, Chunzhang; Vankayalapati, Hari; Drachtman, Richard; Divoky, Vladimir; Prchal, Josef T

2013-05-09

Germline von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene mutations underlie dominantly inherited familial VHL tumor syndrome comprising a predisposition for renal cell carcinoma, pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma, cerebral hemangioblastoma, and endolymphatic sac tumors. However, recessively inherited congenital polycythemia, exemplified by Chuvash polycythemia, has been associated with 2 separate 3' VHL gene mutations in exon 3. It was proposed that different positions of loss-of-function VHL mutations are associated with VHL syndrome cancer predisposition and only C-terminal domain-encoding VHL mutations would cause polycythemia. However, now we describe a new homozygous VHL exon 2 mutation of the VHL gene:(c.413C>T):P138L, which is associated in the affected homozygote with congenital polycythemia but not in her, or her-heterozygous relatives, with cancer or other VHL syndrome tumors. We show that VHL(P138L) has perturbed interaction with hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)1α. Further, VHL(P138L) protein has decreased stability in vitro. Similarly to what was reported in Chuvash polycythemia and some other instances of HIFs upregulation, VHL(P138L) erythroid progenitors are hypersensitive to erythropoietin. Interestingly, the level of RUNX1/AML1 and NF-E2 transcripts that are specifically upregulated in acquired polycythemia vera were also upregulated in VHL(P138L) granulocytes.

Single base mutation in the proα2(I) collagen gene that causes efficient splicing of RNA from exon 27 to exon 29 and synthesis of a shortened but in-frame proα2(I) chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tromp, G.; Prockop, D.J.

1988-01-01

Previous observations demonstrated that a lethal variant of osteogenesis imperfecta had two altered alleles for proα2(I) chains of type I procollagen. One mutation produced a nonfunctioning allele in that there was synthesis of mRNA but no detectable synthesis of proα2(I) chains from the allele. The mutation in the other allele caused synthesis of shortened proα2(I) chains that lacked most or all of the 18 amino acids encoded by exon 28. Subclones of the proα2(I) gene were prepared from the proband's DNA and the DNA sequence was determined for a 582-base-pair (bp) region that extended from the last 30 bp of intervening sequence 26 to the first 26 bp of intervening sequence 29. Data from six independent subclones demonstrated that all had the same sequence as a previously isolated normal clone for the proα2(I) gene except that four subclones had a single base mutation at the 3' end of intervening sequence 27. The mutation was a substitution of guanine for adenine that changed the universal consensus sequence for the 3' splicing site of RNA from -AG- to -GG-. S1 nuclease experiments demonstrated that about half the proα2(I) mRNA in the proband's fibroblasts was abnormally spliced and that the major species of abnormal proα2(I) mRNA was completely spliced from the last codon of exon 27 to the first codon of exon 29. The mutation is apparently unique among RNA splicing mutations of mammalian systems in producing a shortened polypeptide chain that is in-frame in terms of coding sequences, that is used in the subunit assembly of a protein, and that contributes to a lethal phenotype

Context Dependent Effects of Chimeric Peptide Morpholino Conjugates Contribute to Dystrophin Exon-skipping Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Haifang; Boisguerin, Prisca; Moulton, Hong M; Betts, Corinne; Seow, Yiqi; Boutilier, Jordan; Wang, Qingsong; Walsh, Anthony; Lebleu, Bernard; Wood, Matthew Ja

2013-09-24

We have recently reported that cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and novel chimeric peptides containing CPP (referred as B peptide) and muscle-targeting peptide (referred as MSP) motifs significantly improve the systemic exon-skipping activity of morpholino phosphorodiamidate oligomers (PMOs) in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. In the present study, the general mechanistic significance of the chimeric peptide configuration on the activity and tissue uptake of peptide conjugated PMOs in vivo was investigated. Four additional chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates including newly identified peptide 9 (B-9-PMO and 9-B-PMO) and control peptide 3 (B-3-PMO and 3-B-PMO) were tested in mdx mice. Immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR and western blot results indicated that B-9-PMO induced significantly higher level of exon skipping and dystrophin restoration than its counterpart (9-B-PMO), further corroborating the notion that the activity of chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates is dependent on relative position of the tissue-targeting peptide motif within the chimeric peptide with respect to PMOs. Subsequent mechanistic studies showed that enhanced cellular uptake of B-MSP-PMO into muscle cells leads to increased exon-skipping activity in comparison with MSP-B-PMO. Surprisingly, further evidence showed that the uptake of chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates of both orientations (B-MSP-PMO and MSP-B-PMO) was ATP- and temperature-dependent and also partially mediated by heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), indicating that endocytosis is likely the main uptake pathway for both chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates. Collectively, our data demonstrate that peptide orientation in chimeric peptides is an important parameter that determines cellular uptake and activity when conjugated directly to oligonucleotides. These observations provide insight into the design of improved cell targeting compounds for future therapeutics studies.Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids (2013) 2, e124; doi:10.1038/mtna.2013

Absence of mutations in HCRT, HCRTR1 and HCRTR2 in patients with ROHHAD.

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, Sarah F; Rand, Casey M; Gray, Paul A; Gibson, William T; Wilson, Richard J A; Berry-Kravis, Elizabeth M; Ize-Ludlow, Diego; Bech-Hansen, N Torben; Weese-Mayer, Debra E

2016-01-15

Rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) is a rare pediatric disease of unknown cause. Here, in response to a recent case report describing a ROHHAD patient who suffered from secondary narcolepsy confirmed by an absence of hypocretin-1 in the cerebrospinal fluid, we consider whether the ROHHAD phenotype is owing to one or more mutations in genes specific to hypocretin protein signalling. DNA samples from 16 ROHHAD patients were analyzed using a combination of next-generation and Sanger sequencing to identify exonic sequence variations in three genes: HCRT, HCRTR1, and HCRTR2. No rare or novel mutations were identified in the exons of HCRT, HCRTR1, or HCRTR2 genes in a set of 16 ROHHAD patients. ROHHAD is highly unlikely to be caused by mutations in the exons of the genes for hypocretin and its two receptors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel ZEB2-BCL11B Fusion Gene Identified by RNA-Sequencing in Acute Myeloid Leukemia with t(2;14(q22;q32.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Synne Torkildsen

Full Text Available RNA-sequencing of a case of acute myeloid leukemia with the bone marrow karyotype 46,XY,t(2;14(q22;q32[5]/47,XY,idem,+?4,del(6(q13q21[cp6]/46,XY[4] showed that the t(2;14 generated a ZEB2-BCL11B chimera in which exon 2 of ZEB2 (nucleotide 595 in the sequence with accession number NM_014795.3 was fused to exon 2 of BCL11B (nucleotide 554 in the sequence with accession number NM_022898.2. RT-PCR together with Sanger sequencing verified the presence of the above-mentioned fusion transcript. All functional domains of BCL11B are retained in the chimeric protein. Abnormal expression of BCL11B coding regions subjected to control by the ZEB2 promoter seems to be the leukemogenic mechanism behind the translocation.

Analysis of 30 putative BRCA1 splicing mutations in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families identifies exonic splice site mutations that escape in silico prediction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Wappenschmidt

Full Text Available Screening for pathogenic mutations in breast and ovarian cancer genes such as BRCA1/2, CHEK2 and RAD51C is common practice for individuals from high-risk families. However, test results may be ambiguous due to the presence of unclassified variants (UCV in the concurrent absence of clearly cancer-predisposing mutations. Especially the presence of intronic or exonic variants within these genes that possibly affect proper pre-mRNA processing poses a challenge as their functional implications are not immediately apparent. Therefore, it appears necessary to characterize potential splicing UCV and to develop appropriate classification tools. We investigated 30 distinct BRCA1 variants, both intronic and exonic, regarding their spliceogenic potential by commonly used in silico prediction algorithms (HSF, MaxEntScan along with in vitro transcript analyses. A total of 25 variants were identified spliceogenic, either causing/enhancing exon skipping or activation of cryptic splice sites, or both. Except from a single intronic variant causing minor effects on BRCA1 pre-mRNA processing in our analyses, 23 out of 24 intronic variants were correctly predicted by MaxEntScan, while HSF was less accurate in this cohort. Among the 6 exonic variants analyzed, 4 severely impair correct pre-mRNA processing, while the remaining two have partial effects. In contrast to the intronic alterations investigated, only half of the spliceogenic exonic variants were correctly predicted by HSF and/or MaxEntScan. These data support the idea that exonic splicing mutations are commonly disease-causing and concurrently prone to escape in silico prediction, hence necessitating experimental in vitro splicing analysis.

Comparison of Nasal Epithelial Smoking-Induced Gene Expression on Affymetrix Exon 1.0 and Gene 1.0 ST Arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoling Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We have previously defined the impact of tobacco smoking on nasal epithelium gene expression using Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST arrays. In this paper, we compared the performance of the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST array with the Human Exon 1.0 ST array for detecting nasal smoking-related gene expression changes. RNA collected from the nasal epithelium of five current smokers and five never smokers was hybridized to both arrays. While the intersample correlation within each array platform was relatively higher in the Gene array than that in the Exon array, the majority of the genes most changed by smoking were tightly correlated between platforms. Although neither array dataset was powered to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs at a false discovery rate (FDR <0.05, we identified more DEGs than expected by chance using the Gene ST array. These findings suggest that while both platforms show a high degree of correlation for detecting smoking-induced differential gene expression changes, the Gene ST array may be a more cost-effective platform in a clinical setting for gene-level genomewide expression profiling and an effective tool for exploring the host response to cigarette smoking and other inhaled toxins.

Regulation of insulin-like growth factor I transcription by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) in fetal rat bone cells through an element within exon 1: protein kinase A-dependent control without a consensus AMP response element

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, T. L.; Thomas, M. J.; Centrella, M.; Rotwein, P.

1995-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a locally synthesized anabolic growth factor for bone. IGF-I synthesis by primary fetal rat osteoblasts (Ob) is stimulated by agents that increase the intracellular cAMP concentration, including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Previous studies with Ob cultures demonstrated that PGE2 enhanced IGF-I transcription through selective use of IGF-I promoter 1, with little effect on IGF-I messenger RNA half-life. Transient transfection of Ob cultures with an array of promoter 1-luciferase reporter fusion constructs has now allowed localization of a potential cis-acting promoter element(s) responsible for cAMP-stimulated gene expression to the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of IGF-I exon 1, within a segment lacking a consensus cAMP response element. Our evidence derives from three principal observations: 1) a transfection construct containing only 122 nucleotides (nt) of promoter 1 and 328 nt of the 5'-UTR retained full PGE2-stimulated reporter expression; 2) maximal PGE2-driven reporter expression required the presence of nt 196 to 328 of exon 1 when tested within the context of IGF-I promoter 1; 3) cotransfection of IGF-I promoter-luciferase-reporter constructs with a plasmid encoding the alpha-isoform of the catalytic subunit of murine cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) produced results comparable to those seen with PGE2 treatment, whereas cotransfection with a plasmid encoding a mutant regulatory subunit of PKA that cannot bind cAMP blocked PGE2-induced reporter expression. Deoxyribonuclease I footprinting of the 5'-UTR of exon 1 demonstrated protected sequences at HS3A, HS3B, and HS3D, three of six DNA-protein binding sites previously characterized with rat liver nuclear extracts. Of these three regions, only the HS3D binding site is located within the functionally identified hormonally responsive segment of IGF-I exon 1. These results directly implicate PKA in the control of IGF-I gene transcription by PGE2 and identify a segment of

Intronic L1 retrotransposons and nested genes cause transcriptional interference by inducing intron retention, exonization and cryptic polyadenylation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristel Kaer

Full Text Available Transcriptional interference has been recently recognized as an unexpectedly complex and mostly negative regulation of genes. Despite a relatively few studies that emerged in recent years, it has been demonstrated that a readthrough transcription derived from one gene can influence the transcription of another overlapping or nested gene. However, the molecular effects resulting from this interaction are largely unknown.Using in silico chromosome walking, we searched for prematurely terminated transcripts bearing signatures of intron retention or exonization of intronic sequence at their 3' ends upstream to human L1 retrotransposons, protein-coding and noncoding nested genes. We demonstrate that transcriptional interference induced by intronic L1s (or other repeated DNAs and nested genes could be characterized by intron retention, forced exonization and cryptic polyadenylation. These molecular effects were revealed from the analysis of endogenous transcripts derived from different cell lines and tissues and confirmed by the expression of three minigenes in cell culture. While intron retention and exonization were comparably observed in introns upstream to L1s, forced exonization was preferentially detected in nested genes. Transcriptional interference induced by L1 or nested genes was dependent on the presence or absence of cryptic splice sites, affected the inclusion or exclusion of the upstream exon and the use of cryptic polyadenylation signals.Our results suggest that transcriptional interference induced by intronic L1s and nested genes could influence the transcription of the large number of genes in normal as well as in tumor tissues. Therefore, this type of interference could have a major impact on the regulation of the host gene expression.

Bu-2470, a new peptide antibiotic complex. II. Structure determination of Bu-2470 A, B1, B2a and B2b.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugawara, K; Yonemoto, T; Konishi, M; Matsumoto, K; Miyaki, T; Kawaguchi, H

1983-06-01

The structures of Bu-2470 A, B1, B2a, and B2b have been determined. Bu-2470 A is a simple octapeptide having no fatty acid moiety, while Bu-2470 B1, B2a and B2b are octapeptides that have been acylated with a beta-hydroxy C11 or C10 fatty acid. The octapeptide structure of Bu-2470 components was found identical with that of octapeptin C1, hence generic names of octapeptin C0, C2, C3 and C4 are proposed for Bu-2470 A, B1, B2a and B2b, respectively.

Genetic polymorphisms within exon 3 of heat shock protein 90AA1 gene and its association with heat tolerance traits in Sahiwal cows

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rakesh; Gupta, I. D.; Verma, Archana; Verma, Nishant; Vineeth, M. R.

2015-01-01

Aim: The present study was undertaken to identify novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in Exon 3 of HSP90AA1 gene and to analyze their association with respiration rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) in Sahiwal cows. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out in Sahiwal cows (n=100) with the objectives to identify novel SNP in exon 3 of HSP90AA1 gene and to explore the association with heat tolerance traits. CLUSTAL-W multiple sequence analysis was used to identify novel SNPs in exon 3 of HSP90AA1 gene in Sahiwal cows. Gene and genotype frequencies of different genotypes were estimated by standard procedure POPGENE version 1.32 (University of Alberta, Canada). The significant effect of SNP variants on physiological parameters, e.g. RR and RT were analyzed using the General Linear model procedure of SAS Version 9.2. Results: The polymerase chain reaction product with the amplicon size of 450 bp was successfully amplified, covering exon 3 region of HSP90AA1 gene in Sahiwal cows. On the basis of comparative sequence analysis of Sahiwal samples (n=100), transitional mutations were detected at locus A1209G as compared to Bos taurus (NCBI GenBank AC_000178.1). After chromatogram analysis, three genotypes AA, AG, and GG with respective frequencies of 0.23, 0.50, and 0.27 ascertained. RR and RT were recorded once during probable extreme hours in winter, spring, and summer seasons. It was revealed that significant difference (pheat tolerance trait was found in Sahiwal cattle. The homozygotic animals with AA genotype had lower heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) (1.78±0.04a), as compared to both AG and GG genotypes (1.85±0.03b and 1.91±0.02c), respectively. The gene and genotype frequencies for the locus A1209G were ascertained. Conclusions: Novel SNP was found at the A1209G position showed all possible three genotypes (homozygous and heterozygous). Temperature humidity index has a highly significant association with RR, RT, and HTC in all the seasons

Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a female with compound heterozygous contiguous exon deletions.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeshita, Eri; Minami, Narihiro; Minami, Kumiko; Suzuki, Mikiya; Awashima, Takeya; Ishiyama, Akihiko; Komaki, Hirofumi; Nishino, Ichizo; Sasaki, Masayuki

2017-06-01

Females with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) mutations rarely exhibit clinical symptoms from childhood, although potential mechanisms for symptoms associated with DMD and BMD in females have been reported. We report the case of a female DMD patient with a clinical course indistinguishable from that of a male DMD patient, and who possessed compound heterozygous contiguous exon deletions in the dystrophin gene. She exhibited Gowers' sign, calf muscle hypertrophy, and a high serum creatine kinase level at 2 years. Her muscle pathology showed most of the fibers were negative for dystrophin immunohistochemical staining. She lost ambulation at 11 years. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis of this gene detected one copy of exons 48-53; she was found to be a BMD carrier with an in-frame deletion. Messenger RNA from her muscle demonstrated out-of-frame deletions of exons 48-50 and 51-53 occurring on separate alleles. Genomic DNA from her lymphocytes demonstrated the accurate deletion region on each allele. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a female patient possessing compound heterozygous contiguous exon deletions in the dystrophin gene, leading to DMD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amino methylation of 2-R-6-R_1-imidazo-[2.1-B]-1.3.4-thiadiazole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saidov, D.K.; Rakhmonov, R.O.; Khodzhiboev, Yu.; Kukaniev, M.A.; Bandaev, S.

2015-01-01

Present article is devoted to amino methylation of 2-R-6-R_1-imidazo-[2.1-B]-1.3.4-thiadiazole. The reaction of new modifications of derivatives of imidazo-[2.1-B]-1.3.4-thiadiazoles-2-bromine-6-p-bromophenyl and 2-alkyl alkylene sulfonyl-6-phenyl imidazo--[2.1-B]-1.3.4-thiadiazole on Mannich with secondary and heterocyclic amines was studied.

Heat shock factors HsfB1 and HsfB2b are involved in the regulation of Pdf1.2 expression and pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Mukesh; Busch, Wolfgang; Birke, Hannah; Kemmerling, Birgit; Nürnberger, Thorsten; Schöffl, Friedrich

2009-01-01

In order to assess the functional roles of heat stress-induced class B-heat shock factors in Arabidopsis, we investigated T-DNA knockout mutants of AtHsfB1 and AtHsfB2b. Micorarray analysis of double knockout hsfB1/hsfB2b plants revealed as strong an up-regulation of the basal mRNA-levels of the defensin genes Pdf1.2a/b in mutant plants. The Pdf expression was further enhanced by jasmonic acid treatment or infection with the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola. The single mutant hsfB2b and the double mutant hsfB1/B2b were significantly improved in disease resistance after A. brassicicola infection. There was no indication for a direct interaction of Hsf with the promoter of Pdf1.2, which is devoid of perfect HSE consensus Hsf-binding sequences. However, changes in the formation of late HsfA2-dependent HSE binding were detected in hsfB1/B2b plants. This suggests that HsfB1/B2b may interact with class A-Hsf in regulating the shut-off of the heat shock response. The identification of Pdf genes as targets of Hsf-dependent negative regulation is the first evidence for an interconnection of Hsf in the regulation of biotic and abiotic responses.

the characterization of exon-1 mutation(s) of beta globin gene in beta thalassemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abass, M.M.E.

2004-01-01

β-thalassemia constitutes one of the most serious health problems worldwide, it is the most common chronic hemolytic anemia in egypt. the aim of this work is to study the mutations of exon-1 of β-globin gene in β-thalassaemic children in sharkia governorate. the present study was included 25 healthy children and 50 patients diagnosed as β-thalassemia. this work showed that the thalassaemic patients had significantly decrease in Hb conc . than the control group (p 2 showed a significant increase as compared with the control group

Splicing of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) exon 11 is vulnerable - Molecular pathology of mutations in PAH exon 11

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heintz, Caroline; Dobrowolski, Steven F.; Andersen, Henriette Skovgaard

2012-01-01

as a vulnerable exon and used patient derived lymphoblast cell lines and PAH minigenes to study the molecular defect that impacted pre-mRNA processing. We showed that the c.1144T>C and c.1066-3C>T mutations cause exon 11 skipping, while the c.1139C>T mutation is neutral or slightly beneficial. The c.1144T......In about 20-30% of phenylketonuria (PKU) patients, phenylalanine (Phe) levels can be controlled by cofactor 6R-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) administration. The phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) genotype has a predictive value concerning BH(4)-response and therefore a correct assessment of the mutation...... molecular pathology is important. Mutations that disturb the splicing of exons (e.g. interplay between splice site strength and regulatory sequences like exon splicing enhancers (ESEs)/exon splicing silencers (ESSs)) may cause different severity of PKU. In this study, we identified PAH exon 11...

CELF family RNA-binding protein UNC-75 regulates two sets of mutually exclusive exons of the unc-32 gene in neuron-specific manners in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidehito Kuroyanagi

Full Text Available An enormous number of alternative pre-mRNA splicing patterns in multicellular organisms are coordinately defined by a limited number of regulatory proteins and cis elements. Mutually exclusive alternative splicing should be strictly regulated and is a challenging model for elucidating regulation mechanisms. Here we provide models of the regulation of two sets of mutually exclusive exons, 4a-4c and 7a-7b, of the Caenorhabditis elegans uncoordinated (unc-32 gene, encoding the a subunit of V0 complex of vacuolar-type H(+-ATPases. We visualize selection patterns of exon 4 and exon 7 in vivo by utilizing a trio and a pair of symmetric fluorescence splicing reporter minigenes, respectively, to demonstrate that they are regulated in tissue-specific manners. Genetic analyses reveal that RBFOX family RNA-binding proteins ASD-1 and FOX-1 and a UGCAUG stretch in intron 7b are involved in the neuron-specific selection of exon 7a. Through further forward genetic screening, we identify UNC-75, a neuron-specific CELF family RNA-binding protein of unknown function, as an essential regulator for the exon 7a selection. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays specify a short fragment in intron 7a as the recognition site for UNC-75 and demonstrate that UNC-75 specifically binds via its three RNA recognition motifs to the element including a UUGUUGUGUUGU stretch. The UUGUUGUGUUGU stretch in the reporter minigenes is actually required for the selection of exon 7a in the nervous system. We compare the amounts of partially spliced RNAs in the wild-type and unc-75 mutant backgrounds and raise a model for the mutually exclusive selection of unc-32 exon 7 by the RBFOX family and UNC-75. The neuron-specific selection of unc-32 exon 4b is also regulated by UNC-75 and the unc-75 mutation suppresses the Unc phenotype of the exon-4b-specific allele of unc-32 mutants. Taken together, UNC-75 is the neuron-specific splicing factor and regulates both sets of the mutually exclusive

Disruption of chromosome 11 in canine fibrosarcomas highlights an unusual variability of CDKN2B in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haugland Sean

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In dogs in the western world neoplasia constitutes the most frequently diagnosed cause of death. Although there appear to be similarities between canine and human cancers, rather little is known about the cytogenetic and molecular alterations in canine tumours. Different dog breeds are susceptible to different types of cancer, but the genetic basis of the great majority of these predispositions has yet to be discovered. In some retriever breeds there is a high incidence of soft tissue sarcomas and we have previously reported alterations of chromosomes 11 and 30 in two poorly differentiated fibrosarcomas. Here we extend our observations and present a case report on detail rearrangements on chromosome 11 as well as genetic variations in a tumour suppressor gene in normal dogs. Results BAC hybridisations on metaphases of two fibrosarcomas showed complex rearrangements on chromosome 11, and loss of parts of this chromosome. Microsatellite markers on a paired tumour and blood DNA pointed to loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11 in the CDKN2B-CDKN2A tumour suppressor gene cluster region. PCR and sequencing revealed the homozygous loss of coding sequences for these genes, except for exon 1β of CDKN2A, which codes for the N-terminus of p14ARF. For CDKN2B exon 1, two alleles were observed in DNA from blood; one of them identical to the sequence in the dog reference genome and containing 4 copies of a 12 bp repeat found only in the canine gene amongst all species so far sequenced; the other allele was shorter due to a missing copy of the repeat. Sequencing of this exon in 141 dogs from 18 different breeds revealed a polymorphic region involving a GGC triplet repeat and a GGGGACGGCGGC repeat. Seven alleles were recorded and sixteen of the eighteen breeds showed heterozygosity. Conclusion Complex chromosome rearrangements were observed on chromosome 11 in two Labrador retriever fibrosarcomas. The chromosome alterations were reflected

Lex-SVM: exploring the potential of exon expression profiling for disease classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Xiongying; Zhao, Yi; Liu, Changning; Bu, Dongbo

2011-04-01

Exon expression profiling technologies, including exon arrays and RNA-Seq, measure the abundance of every exon in a gene. Compared with gene expression profiling technologies like 3' array, exon expression profiling technologies could detect alterations in both transcription and alternative splicing, therefore they are expected to be more sensitive in diagnosis. However, exon expression profiling also brings higher dimension, more redundancy, and significant correlation among features. Ignoring the correlation structure among exons of a gene, a popular classification method like L1-SVM selects exons individually from each gene and thus is vulnerable to noise. To overcome this limitation, we present in this paper a new variant of SVM named Lex-SVM to incorporate correlation structure among exons and known splicing patterns to promote classification performance. Specifically, we construct a new norm, ex-norm, including our prior knowledge on exon correlation structure to regularize the coefficients of a linear SVM. Lex-SVM can be solved efficiently using standard linear programming techniques. The advantage of Lex-SVM is that it can select features group-wisely, force features in a subgroup to take equal weihts and exclude the features that contradict the majority in the subgroup. Experimental results suggest that on exon expression profile, Lex-SVM is more accurate than existing methods. Lex-SVM also generates a more compact model and selects genes more consistently in cross-validation. Unlike L1-SVM selecting only one exon in a gene, Lex-SVM assigns equal weights to as many exons in a gene as possible, lending itself easier for further interpretation.

High prevalence of exon 8 G533C mutation in apparently sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarika, H L; Papathoma, A; Garofalaki, M; Vasileiou, V; Vlassopoulou, B; Anastasiou, E; Alevizaki, M

2012-12-01

Genetic screening for ret mutation has become routine practice in the evaluation of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Approximately 25% of these tumours are familial, and they occur as components of the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 syndromes (MEN 2A and 2B) or familial MTC. In familial cases, the majority of mutations are found in exons 10, 11, 13, 14 or 15 of the ret gene. A rare mutation involving exon 8 (G533C) has recently been reported in familial cases of MTC in Brazil and Greece; some of these cases were originally thought to be sporadic. The aim of this study was to re-evaluate a series of sporadic cases of MTC, with negative family history, and screen them for germline mutations in exon 8. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral lymphocytes in 129 unrelated individuals who had previously been characterized as 'sporadic' based on the negative family history and negative screening for ret gene mutations. Samples were analysed in Applied Biosystems 7500 real-time PCR and confirmed by sequencing. The G533C exon 8 mutation was identified in 10 of 129 patients with sporadic MTC. Asymptomatic gene carriers were subsequently identified in other family members. In our study, we found that 7·75% patients with apparently sporadic MTC do carry G533C mutation involving exon 8 of ret. We feel that there is now a need to include exon 8 mutation screening in all patients diagnosed as sporadic MTC, in Greece. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Identification of SH2B2β as an Inhibitor for SH2B1- and SH2B2α-Promoted Janus Kinase-2 Activation and Insulin Signaling

OpenAIRE

Li, Minghua; Li, Zhiqin; Morris, David L.; Rui, Liangyou

2007-01-01

The SH2B family has three members (SH2B1, SH2B2, and SH2B3) that contain conserved dimerization (DD), pleckstrin homology, and SH2 domains. The DD domain mediates the formation of homo- and heterodimers between members of the SH2B family. The SH2 domain of SH2B1 (previously named SH2-B) or SH2B2 (previously named APS) binds to phosphorylated tyrosines in a variety of tyrosine kinases, including Janus kinase-2 (JAK2) and the insulin receptor, thereby promoting the activation of JAK2 or the ins...

Evaluating approaches to find exon chains based on long reads.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuosmanen, Anna; Norri, Tuukka; Mäkinen, Veli

2018-05-01

Transcript prediction can be modeled as a graph problem where exons are modeled as nodes and reads spanning two or more exons are modeled as exon chains. Pacific Biosciences third-generation sequencing technology produces significantly longer reads than earlier second-generation sequencing technologies, which gives valuable information about longer exon chains in a graph. However, with the high error rates of third-generation sequencing, aligning long reads correctly around the splice sites is a challenging task. Incorrect alignments lead to spurious nodes and arcs in the graph, which in turn lead to incorrect transcript predictions. We survey several approaches to find the exon chains corresponding to long reads in a splicing graph, and experimentally study the performance of these methods using simulated data to allow for sensitivity/precision analysis. Our experiments show that short reads from second-generation sequencing can be used to significantly improve exon chain correctness either by error-correcting the long reads before splicing graph creation, or by using them to create a splicing graph on which the long-read alignments are then projected. We also study the memory and time consumption of various modules, and show that accurate exon chains lead to significantly increased transcript prediction accuracy. The simulated data and in-house scripts used for this article are available at http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/group/gsa/exon-chains/exon-chains-bib.tar.bz2.

Deletion of Dystrophin In-Frame Exon 5 Leads to a Severe Phenotype: Guidance for Exon Skipping Strategies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Yon Charles Toh

Full Text Available Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy severity depends upon the nature and location of the DMD gene lesion and generally correlates with the dystrophin open reading frame. However, there are striking exceptions where an in-frame genomic deletion leads to severe pathology or protein-truncating mutations (nonsense or frame-shifting indels manifest as mild disease. Exceptions to the dystrophin reading frame rule are usually resolved after molecular diagnosis on muscle RNA. We report a moderate/severe Becker muscular dystrophy patient with an in-frame genomic deletion of DMD exon 5. This mutation has been reported by others as resulting in Duchenne or Intermediate muscular dystrophy, and the loss of this in-frame exon in one patient led to multiple splicing events, including omission of exon 6, that disrupts the open reading frame and is consistent with a severe phenotype. The patient described has a deletion of dystrophin exon 5 that does not compromise recognition of exon 6, and although the deletion does not disrupt the reading frame, his clinical presentation is more severe than would be expected for classical Becker muscular dystrophy. We suggest that the dystrophin isoform lacking the actin-binding sequence encoded by exon 5 is compromised, reflected by the phenotype resulting from induction of this dystrophin isoform in mouse muscle in vivo. Hence, exon skipping to address DMD-causing mutations within DMD exon 5 may not yield an isoform that confers marked clinical benefit. Additional studies will be required to determine whether multi-exon skipping strategies could yield more functional dystrophin isoforms, since some BMD patients with larger in-frame deletions in this region have been reported with mild phenotypes.

Exon silencing by UAGG motifs in response to neuronal excitation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping An

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays fundamental roles in neurons by generating functional diversity in proteins associated with the communication and connectivity of the synapse. The CI cassette of the NMDA R1 receptor is one of a variety of exons that show an increase in exon skipping in response to cell excitation, but the molecular nature of this splicing responsiveness is not yet understood. Here we investigate the molecular basis for the induced changes in splicing of the CI cassette exon in primary rat cortical cultures in response to KCl-induced depolarization using an expression assay with a tight neuron-specific readout. In this system, exon silencing in response to neuronal excitation was mediated by multiple UAGG-type silencing motifs, and transfer of the motifs to a constitutive exon conferred a similar responsiveness by gain of function. Biochemical analysis of protein binding to UAGG motifs in extracts prepared from treated and mock-treated cortical cultures showed an increase in nuclear hnRNP A1-RNA binding activity in parallel with excitation. Evidence for the role of the NMDA receptor and calcium signaling in the induced splicing response was shown by the use of specific antagonists, as well as cell-permeable inhibitors of signaling pathways. Finally, a wider role for exon-skipping responsiveness is shown to involve additional exons with UAGG-related silencing motifs, and transcripts involved in synaptic functions. These results suggest that, at the post-transcriptional level, excitable exons such as the CI cassette may be involved in strategies by which neurons mount adaptive responses to hyperstimulation.

Genetic and molecular risk factors within the newly identified primate-specific exon of the SAP97/DLG1 gene in the 3q29 schizophrenia-associated locus.

Science.gov (United States)

Uezato, Akihito; Yamamoto, Naoki; Jitoku, Daisuke; Haramo, Emiko; Hiraaki, Eri; Iwayama, Yoshimi; Toyota, Tomoko; Umino, Masakazu; Umino, Asami; Iwata, Yasuhide; Suzuki, Katsuaki; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Hashimoto, Tasuku; Kanahara, Nobuhisa; Kurumaji, Akeo; Yoshikawa, Takeo; Nishikawa, Toru

2017-12-01

The synapse-associated protein 97/discs, large homolog 1 of Drosophila (DLG1) gene encodes synaptic scaffold PDZ proteins interacting with ionotropic glutamate receptors including the N-methyl-D-aspartate type glutamate receptor (NMDAR) that is presumed to be hypoactive in brains of patients with schizophrenia. The DLG1 gene resides in the chromosomal position 3q29, the microdeletion of which confers a 40-fold increase in the risk for schizophrenia. In the present study, we performed genetic association analyses for DLG1 gene using a Japanese cohort with 1808 schizophrenia patients and 2170 controls. We detected an association which remained significant after multiple comparison testing between schizophrenia and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3915512 that is located within the newly identified primate-specific exon (exon 3b) of the DLG1 gene and constitutes the exonic splicing enhancer sequence. When stratified by onset age, although it did not survive multiple comparisons, the association was observed in non-early onset schizophrenia, whose onset-age selectivity is consistent with our recent postmortem study demonstrating a decrease in the expression of the DLG1 variant in early-onset schizophrenia. Although the present study did not demonstrate the previously reported association of the SNP rs9843659 by itself, a meta-analysis revealed a significant association between DLG1 gene and schizophrenia. These findings provide a valuable clue for molecular mechanisms on how genetic variations in the primate-specific exon of the gene in the schizophrenia-associated 3q29 locus affect its regulation in the glutamate system and lead to the disease onset around a specific stage of brain development. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis of 9H-indeno [1, 2-b] pyrazine and 11H-indeno [1, 2-b] quinoxaline derivatives in one-step reaction from 2-bromo-4-chloro-1-indanone

OpenAIRE

Jasouri, S.; Khalafy, J.; Badali, M.; Prager, R.H.

2011-01-01

The reaction of 2-bromo-4-chloro-1-indanone with 2,3-diaminomaleonitrile, benzene-1,2-diamine and 4-methylbenzene-1,2-diamine in glacial acetic acid gave 8-chloro-9H-indeno[1,2-b]pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitrile, 1-chloro-11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxa-line and 1-chloro-7-methyl-11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxaline, respectively, in good yield.

2-[1-(Methylsulfanylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan-2-yl]acetic acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uk Lee

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The title compound, C15H12O3S, was prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of ethyl 2-{1-(methylsulfanylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan-2-yl}acetate. The crystal structure is stabilized by CH2—H...π interactions between the methyl H atoms of the methylsulfanyl substituent and the central benzene ring of the naphthofuran system, and by inversion-related intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl groups.

RSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_COMP_12_V1.1:1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This dataset contains the RapidScat Level 2B 12.5km Version 1.1 science-quality ocean surface wind vectors. The Level 2B wind vectors are binned on a 12.5 km Wind...

Screening for mutations in two exons of FANCG gene in Pakistani population.

Science.gov (United States)

Aymun, Ujala; Iram, Saima; Aftab, Iram; Khaliq, Saba; Nadir, Ali; Nisar, Ahmed; Mohsin, Shahida

2017-06-01

Fanconi anemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of genetic instability. It is both molecularly and clinically, a heterogeneous disorder. Its incidence is 1 in 129,000 births and relatively high in some ethnic groups. Sixteen genes have been identified among them mutations in FANCG gene are most common after FANCA and FANCC gene mutations. To study mutations in exon 3 and 4 of FANCG gene in Pakistani population. Thirty five patients with positive Diepoxybutane test were included in the study. DNA was extracted and amplified for exons 3 and 4. Thereafter Sequencing was done and analyzed for the presence of mutations. No mutation was detected in exon 3 whereas a carrier of known mutation c.307+1 G>T was found in exon 4 of the FANCG gene. Absence of any mutation in exon 3 and only one heterozygous mutation in exon 4 of FANCG gene points to a different spectrum of FA gene pool in Pakistan that needs extensive research in this area.

The JAK2V617F and CALR exon 9 mutations are shared immunogenic neoantigens in hematological malignancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmstrom, Morten Orebo; Hasselbalch, Hans Carl; Andersen, Mads Hald

2017-01-01

Approximately 90% of patients with the hematological malignancies termed the chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms harbor either the JAK2V617F-mutation or CALR exon 9 mutation. Both of these are recognized by T-cells, which make the mutations ideal targets for cancer immune therapy as they are sha......Approximately 90% of patients with the hematological malignancies termed the chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms harbor either the JAK2V617F-mutation or CALR exon 9 mutation. Both of these are recognized by T-cells, which make the mutations ideal targets for cancer immune therapy...

Measurement of the $\\chi_b(3P)$ mass and of the relative rate of $\\chi_{b1}(1P)$ and $\\chi_{b2}(1P)$ production

CERN Document Server

Aaij, Roel; Adinolfi, Marco; Affolder, Anthony; Ajaltouni, Ziad; Akar, Simon; Albrecht, Johannes; Alessio, Federico; Alexander, Michael; Ali, Suvayu; Alkhazov, Georgy; Alvarez Cartelle, Paula; Alves Jr, Antonio Augusto; Amato, Sandra; Amerio, Silvia; Amhis, Yasmine; An, Liupan; Anderlini, Lucio; Anderson, Jonathan; Andreassen, Rolf; Andreotti, Mirco; Andrews, Jason; Appleby, Robert; Aquines Gutierrez, Osvaldo; Archilli, Flavio; Artamonov, Alexander; Artuso, Marina; Aslanides, Elie; Auriemma, Giulio; Baalouch, Marouen; Bachmann, Sebastian; Back, John; Badalov, Alexey; Baesso, Clarissa; Baldini, Wander; Barlow, Roger; Barschel, Colin; Barsuk, Sergey; Barter, William; Batozskaya, Varvara; Battista, Vincenzo; Bay, Aurelio; Beaucourt, Leo; Beddow, John; Bedeschi, Franco; Bediaga, Ignacio; Belogurov, Sergey; Belous, Konstantin; Belyaev, Ivan; Ben-Haim, Eli; Bencivenni, Giovanni; Benson, Sean; Benton, Jack; Berezhnoy, Alexander; Bernet, Roland; Bettler, Marc-Olivier; van Beuzekom, Martinus; Bien, Alexander; Bifani, Simone; Bird, Thomas; Bizzeti, Andrea; Bjørnstad, Pål Marius; Blake, Thomas; Blanc, Frédéric; Blouw, Johan; Blusk, Steven; Bocci, Valerio; Bondar, Alexander; Bondar, Nikolay; Bonivento, Walter; Borghi, Silvia; Borgia, Alessandra; Borsato, Martino; Bowcock, Themistocles; Bowen, Espen Eie; Bozzi, Concezio; Brambach, Tobias; van den Brand, Johannes; Bressieux, Joël; Brett, David; Britsch, Markward; Britton, Thomas; Brodzicka, Jolanta; Brook, Nicholas; Brown, Henry; Bursche, Albert; Busetto, Giovanni; Buytaert, Jan; Cadeddu, Sandro; Calabrese, Roberto; Calvi, Marta; Calvo Gomez, Miriam; Campana, Pierluigi; Campora Perez, Daniel; Carbone, Angelo; Carboni, Giovanni; Cardinale, Roberta; Cardini, Alessandro; Carson, Laurence; Carvalho Akiba, Kazuyoshi; Casse, Gianluigi; Cassina, Lorenzo; Castillo Garcia, Lucia; Cattaneo, Marco; Cauet, Christophe; Cenci, Riccardo; Charles, Matthew; Charpentier, Philippe; Chefdeville, Maximilien; Chen, Shanzhen; Cheung, Shu-Faye; Chiapolini, Nicola; Chrzaszcz, Marcin; Ciba, Krzystof; Cid Vidal, Xabier; Ciezarek, Gregory; Clarke, Peter; Clemencic, Marco; Cliff, Harry; Closier, Joel; Coco, Victor; Cogan, Julien; Cogneras, Eric; Cojocariu, Lucian; Collins, Paula; Comerma-Montells, Albert; Contu, Andrea; Cook, Andrew; Coombes, Matthew; Coquereau, Samuel; Corti, Gloria; Corvo, Marco; Counts, Ian; Couturier, Benjamin; Cowan, Greig; Craik, Daniel Charles; Cruz Torres, Melissa Maria; Cunliffe, Samuel; Currie, Robert; D'Ambrosio, Carmelo; Dalseno, Jeremy; David, Pascal; David, Pieter; Davis, Adam; De Bruyn, Kristof; De Capua, Stefano; De Cian, Michel; De Miranda, Jussara; De Paula, Leandro; De Silva, Weeraddana; De Simone, Patrizia; Decamp, Daniel; Deckenhoff, Mirko; Del Buono, Luigi; Déléage, Nicolas; Derkach, Denis; Deschamps, Olivier; Dettori, Francesco; Di Canto, Angelo; Dijkstra, Hans; Donleavy, Stephanie; Dordei, Francesca; Dorigo, Mirco; Dosil Suárez, Alvaro; Dossett, David; Dovbnya, Anatoliy; Dreimanis, Karlis; Dujany, Giulio; Dupertuis, Frederic; Durante, Paolo; Dzhelyadin, Rustem; Dziurda, Agnieszka; Dzyuba, Alexey; Easo, Sajan; Egede, Ulrik; Egorychev, Victor; Eidelman, Semen; Eisenhardt, Stephan; Eitschberger, Ulrich; Ekelhof, Robert; Eklund, Lars; El Rifai, Ibrahim; Elsasser, Christian; Ely, Scott; Esen, Sevda; Evans, Hannah Mary; Evans, Timothy; Falabella, Antonio; Färber, Christian; Farinelli, Chiara; Farley, Nathanael; Farry, Stephen; Fay, Robert; Ferguson, Dianne; Fernandez Albor, Victor; Ferreira Rodrigues, Fernando; Ferro-Luzzi, Massimiliano; Filippov, Sergey; Fiore, Marco; Fiorini, Massimiliano; Firlej, Miroslaw; Fitzpatrick, Conor; Fiutowski, Tomasz; Fontana, Marianna; Fontanelli, Flavio; Forty, Roger; Francisco, Oscar; Frank, Markus; Frei, Christoph; Frosini, Maddalena; Fu, Jinlin; Furfaro, Emiliano; Gallas Torreira, Abraham; Galli, Domenico; Gallorini, Stefano; Gambetta, Silvia; Gandelman, Miriam; Gandini, Paolo; Gao, Yuanning; García Pardiñas, Julián; Garofoli, Justin; Garra Tico, Jordi; Garrido, Lluis; Gaspar, Clara; Gauld, Rhorry; Gavardi, Laura; Gavrilov, Gennadii; Geraci, Angelo; Gersabeck, Evelina; Gersabeck, Marco; Gershon, Timothy; Ghez, Philippe; Gianelle, Alessio; Gianì, Sebastiana; Gibson, Valerie; Giubega, Lavinia-Helena; Gligorov, V.V.; Göbel, Carla; Golubkov, Dmitry; Golutvin, Andrey; Gomes, Alvaro; Gotti, Claudio; Grabalosa Gándara, Marc; Graciani Diaz, Ricardo; Granado Cardoso, Luis Alberto; Graugés, Eugeni; Graziani, Giacomo; Grecu, Alexandru; Greening, Edward; Gregson, Sam; Griffith, Peter; Grillo, Lucia; Grünberg, Oliver; Gui, Bin; Gushchin, Evgeny; Guz, Yury; Gys, Thierry; Hadjivasiliou, Christos; Haefeli, Guido; Haen, Christophe; Haines, Susan; Hall, Samuel; Hamilton, Brian; Hampson, Thomas; Han, Xiaoxue; Hansmann-Menzemer, Stephanie; Harnew, Neville; Harnew, Samuel; Harrison, Jonathan; He, Jibo; Head, Timothy; Heijne, Veerle; Hennessy, Karol; Henrard, Pierre; Henry, Louis; Hernando Morata, Jose Angel; van Herwijnen, Eric; Heß, Miriam; Hicheur, Adlène; Hill, Donal; Hoballah, Mostafa; Hombach, Christoph; Hulsbergen, Wouter; Hunt, Philip; Hussain, Nazim; Hutchcroft, David; Hynds, Daniel; Idzik, Marek; Ilten, Philip; Jacobsson, Richard; Jaeger, Andreas; Jalocha, Pawel; Jans, Eddy; Jaton, Pierre; Jawahery, Abolhassan; Jing, Fanfan; John, Malcolm; Johnson, Daniel; Jones, Christopher; Joram, Christian; Jost, Beat; Jurik, Nathan; Kandybei, Sergii; Kanso, Walaa; Karacson, Matthias; Karbach, Moritz; Karodia, Sarah; Kelsey, Matthew; Kenyon, Ian; Ketel, Tjeerd; Khanji, Basem; Khurewathanakul, Chitsanu; Klaver, Suzanne; Klimaszewski, Konrad; Kochebina, Olga; Kolpin, Michael; Komarov, Ilya; Koopman, Rose; Koppenburg, Patrick; Korolev, Mikhail; Kozlinskiy, Alexandr; Kravchuk, Leonid; Kreplin, Katharina; Kreps, Michal; Krocker, Georg; Krokovny, Pavel; Kruse, Florian; Kucewicz, Wojciech; Kucharczyk, Marcin; Kudryavtsev, Vasily; Kurek, Krzysztof; Kvaratskheliya, Tengiz; La Thi, Viet Nga; Lacarrere, Daniel; Lafferty, George; Lai, Adriano; Lambert, Dean; Lambert, Robert W; Lanfranchi, Gaia; Langenbruch, Christoph; Langhans, Benedikt; Latham, Thomas; Lazzeroni, Cristina; Le Gac, Renaud; van Leerdam, Jeroen; Lees, Jean-Pierre; Lefèvre, Regis; Leflat, Alexander; Lefrançois, Jacques; Leo, Sabato; Leroy, Olivier; Lesiak, Tadeusz; Lespinasse, Mickael; Leverington, Blake; Li, Yiming; Likhomanenko, Tatiana; Liles, Myfanwy; Lindner, Rolf; Linn, Christian; Lionetto, Federica; Liu, Bo; Lohn, Stefan; Longstaff, Iain; Lopes, Jose; Lopez-March, Neus; Lowdon, Peter; Lu, Haiting; Lucchesi, Donatella; Luo, Haofei; Lupato, Anna; Luppi, Eleonora; Lupton, Oliver; Machefert, Frederic; Machikhiliyan, Irina V; Maciuc, Florin; Maev, Oleg; Malde, Sneha; Malinin, Alexander; Manca, Giulia; Mancinelli, Giampiero; Mapelli, Alessandro; Maratas, Jan; Marchand, Jean François; Marconi, Umberto; Marin Benito, Carla; Marino, Pietro; Märki, Raphael; Marks, Jörg; Martellotti, Giuseppe; Martens, Aurelien; Martín Sánchez, Alexandra; Martinelli, Maurizio; Martinez Santos, Diego; Martinez Vidal, Fernando; Martins Tostes, Danielle; Massafferri, André; Matev, Rosen; Mathe, Zoltan; Matteuzzi, Clara; Mazurov, Alexander; McCann, Michael; McCarthy, James; McNab, Andrew; McNulty, Ronan; McSkelly, Ben; Meadows, Brian; Meier, Frank; Meissner, Marco; Merk, Marcel; Milanes, Diego Alejandro; Minard, Marie-Noelle; Moggi, Niccolò; Molina Rodriguez, Josue; Monteil, Stephane; Morandin, Mauro; Morawski, Piotr; Mordà, Alessandro; Morello, Michael Joseph; Moron, Jakub; Morris, Adam Benjamin; Mountain, Raymond; Muheim, Franz; Müller, Katharina; Mussini, Manuel; Muster, Bastien; Naik, Paras; Nakada, Tatsuya; Nandakumar, Raja; Nasteva, Irina; Needham, Matthew; Neri, Nicola; Neubert, Sebastian; Neufeld, Niko; Neuner, Max; Nguyen, Anh Duc; Nguyen, Thi-Dung; Nguyen-Mau, Chung; Nicol, Michelle; Niess, Valentin; Niet, Ramon; Nikitin, Nikolay; Nikodem, Thomas; Novoselov, Alexey; O'Hanlon, Daniel Patrick; Oblakowska-Mucha, Agnieszka; Obraztsov, Vladimir; Oggero, Serena; Ogilvy, Stephen; Okhrimenko, Oleksandr; Oldeman, Rudolf; Onderwater, Gerco; Orlandea, Marius; Otalora Goicochea, Juan Martin; Owen, Patrick; Oyanguren, Maria Arantza; Pal, Bilas Kanti; Palano, Antimo; Palombo, Fernando; Palutan, Matteo; Panman, Jacob; Papanestis, Antonios; Pappagallo, Marco; Pappalardo, Luciano; Parkes, Christopher; Parkinson, Christopher John; Passaleva, Giovanni; Patel, Girish; Patel, Mitesh; Patrignani, Claudia; Pearce, Alex; Pellegrino, Antonio; Pepe Altarelli, Monica; Perazzini, Stefano; Perret, Pascal; Perrin-Terrin, Mathieu; Pescatore, Luca; Pesen, Erhan; Petridis, Konstantin; Petrolini, Alessandro; Picatoste Olloqui, Eduardo; Pietrzyk, Boleslaw; Pilař, Tomas; Pinci, Davide; Pistone, Alessandro; Playfer, Stephen; Plo Casasus, Maximo; Polci, Francesco; Poluektov, Anton; Polycarpo, Erica; Popov, Alexander; Popov, Dmitry; Popovici, Bogdan; Potterat, Cédric; Price, Eugenia; Prisciandaro, Jessica; Pritchard, Adrian; Prouve, Claire; Pugatch, Valery; Puig Navarro, Albert; Punzi, Giovanni; Qian, Wenbin; Rachwal, Bartolomiej; Rademacker, Jonas; Rakotomiaramanana, Barinjaka; Rama, Matteo; Rangel, Murilo; Raniuk, Iurii; Rauschmayr, Nathalie; Raven, Gerhard; Reichert, Stefanie; Reid, Matthew; dos Reis, Alberto; Ricciardi, Stefania; Richards, Sophie; Rihl, Mariana; Rinnert, Kurt; Rives Molina, Vincente; Roa Romero, Diego; Robbe, Patrick; Rodrigues, Ana Barbara; Rodrigues, Eduardo; Rodriguez Perez, Pablo; Roiser, Stefan; Romanovsky, Vladimir; Romero Vidal, Antonio; Rotondo, Marcello; Rouvinet, Julien; Ruf, Thomas; Ruiz, Hugo; Ruiz Valls, Pablo; Saborido Silva, Juan Jose; Sagidova, Naylya; Sail, Paul; Saitta, Biagio; Salustino Guimaraes, Valdir; Sanchez Mayordomo, Carlos; Sanmartin Sedes, Brais; Santacesaria, Roberta; Santamarina Rios, Cibran; Santovetti, Emanuele; Sarti, Alessio; Satriano, Celestina; Satta, Alessia; Saunders, Daniel Martin; Savrina, Darya; Schiller, Manuel; Schindler, Heinrich; Schlupp, Maximilian; Schmelling, Michael; Schmidt, Burkhard; Schneider, Olivier; Schopper, Andreas; Schune, Marie Helene; Schwemmer, Rainer; Sciascia, Barbara; Sciubba, Adalberto; Semennikov, Alexander; Sepp, Indrek; Serra, Nicola; Serrano, Justine; Sestini, Lorenzo; Seyfert, Paul; Shapkin, Mikhail; Shapoval, Illya; Shcheglov, Yury; Shears, Tara; Shekhtman, Lev; Shevchenko, Vladimir; Shires, Alexander; Silva Coutinho, Rafael; Simi, Gabriele; Sirendi, Marek; Skidmore, Nicola; Skwarnicki, Tomasz; Smith, Anthony; Smith, Edmund; Smith, Eluned; Smith, Jackson; Smith, Mark; Snoek, Hella; Sokoloff, Michael; Soler, Paul; Soomro, Fatima; Souza, Daniel; Souza De Paula, Bruno; Spaan, Bernhard; Sparkes, Ailsa; Spradlin, Patrick; Sridharan, Srikanth; Stagni, Federico; Stahl, Marian; Stahl, Sascha; Steinkamp, Olaf; Stenyakin, Oleg; Stevenson, Scott; Stoica, Sabin; Stone, Sheldon; Storaci, Barbara; Stracka, Simone; Straticiuc, Mihai; Straumann, Ulrich; Stroili, Roberto; Subbiah, Vijay Kartik; Sun, Liang; Sutcliffe, William; Swientek, Krzysztof; Swientek, Stefan; Syropoulos, Vasileios; Szczekowski, Marek; Szczypka, Paul; Szumlak, Tomasz; T'Jampens, Stephane; Teklishyn, Maksym; Tellarini, Giulia; Teubert, Frederic; Thomas, Christopher; Thomas, Eric; van Tilburg, Jeroen; Tisserand, Vincent; Tobin, Mark; Tolk, Siim; Tomassetti, Luca; Tonelli, Diego; Topp-Joergensen, Stig; Torr, Nicholas; Tournefier, Edwige; Tourneur, Stephane; Tran, Minh Tâm; Tresch, Marco; Trisovic, Ana; Tsaregorodtsev, Andrei; Tsopelas, Panagiotis; Tuning, Niels; Ubeda Garcia, Mario; Ukleja, Artur; Ustyuzhanin, Andrey; Uwer, Ulrich; Vagnoni, Vincenzo; Valenti, Giovanni; Vallier, Alexis; Vazquez Gomez, Ricardo; Vazquez Regueiro, Pablo; Vázquez Sierra, Carlos; Vecchi, Stefania; Velthuis, Jaap; Veltri, Michele; Veneziano, Giovanni; Vesterinen, Mika; Viaud, Benoit; Vieira, Daniel; Vieites Diaz, Maria; Vilasis-Cardona, Xavier; Vollhardt, Achim; Volyanskyy, Dmytro; Voong, David; Vorobyev, Alexey; Vorobyev, Vitaly; Voß, Christian; de Vries, Jacco; Waldi, Roland; Wallace, Charlotte; Wallace, Ronan; Walsh, John; Wandernoth, Sebastian; Wang, Jianchun; Ward, David; Watson, Nigel; Websdale, David; Whitehead, Mark; Wicht, Jean; Wiedner, Dirk; Wilkinson, Guy; Williams, Matthew; Williams, Mike; Wilson, Fergus; Wimberley, Jack; Wishahi, Julian; Wislicki, Wojciech; Witek, Mariusz; Wormser, Guy; Wotton, Stephen; Wright, Simon; Wu, Suzhi; Wyllie, Kenneth; Xie, Yuehong; Xing, Zhou; Xu, Zhirui; Yang, Zhenwei; Yuan, Xuhao; Yushchenko, Oleg; Zangoli, Maria; Zavertyaev, Mikhail; Zhang, Liming; Zhang, Wen Chao; Zhang, Yanxi; Zhelezov, Alexey; Zhokhov, Anatoly; Zhong, Liang; Zvyagin, Alexander

2014-10-14

The production of $\\chi_b$ mesons in proton-proton collisions is studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb detector, at centre-of-mass energies of $\\sqrt{s}=7$ and $8$ TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$. The $\\chi_b$ mesons are identified through their decays to $\\Upsilon(1S)\\gamma$ and $\\Upsilon(2S)\\gamma$ using photons that converted to $e^+e^-$ pairs in the detector. The $\\chi_b(3P)$ meson mass, and the relative prompt production rate of $\\chi_{b1}(1P)$ and $\\chi_{b2}(1P)$ mesons as a function of the $\\Upsilon(1S)$ transverse momentum in the $\\chi_b$ rapidity range 2.0< $y$<4.5, are measured. Assuming a mass splitting between the $\\chi_{b1}(3P)$ and the $\\chi_{b2}(3P)$ states of 10.5 MeV/$c^2$, the mass of the $\\chi_{b1}(3P)$ meson is \\begin{equation*} m(\\chi_{b1}(3P))= 10515.7^{+2.2}_{-3.9}(stat) ^{+1.5}_{-2.1}(syst) MeV/c^2. \\end{equation*}

Genetic variation at Exon2 of TLR4 gene and its association with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to analyze the polymorphisms of chicken Toll-like receptors 4(TLR4) gene and aimed to provide a theoretical foundation for a further research on correlation between chicken TLR4 gene and disease resistance. Genetic variations at exon 2 of TLR4 gene in 14 chicken breeds and the red jungle ...

CYP2R1 mutations causing vitamin D-deficiency rickets.

Science.gov (United States)

Thacher, Tom D; Levine, Michael A

2017-10-01

CYP2R1 is the principal hepatic 25-hydroxylase responsible for the hydroxylation of parent vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D reflect vitamin D status, because 25(OH)D is the major circulating metabolite of vitamin D. The 1α-hydroxylation of 25(OH)D in the kidney by CYP27B1 generates the fully active vitamin D metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH) 2 D). The human CYP2R1 gene, located at 11p15.2, has five exons, coding for an enzyme with 501 amino acids. In Cyp2r1-/- knockout mice, serum 25(OH)D levels were reduced by more than 50% compared wild-type mice. Genetic polymorphisms of CYP2R1 account for some of the individual variability of circulating 25(OH)D values in the population. We review the evidence that inactivating mutations in CYP2R1 can lead to a novel form of vitamin D-deficiency rickets resulting from impaired 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D. We sequenced the promoter, exons and intron-exon flanking regions of the CYP2R1 gene in members of 12 Nigerian families with rickets in more than one family member. We found missense mutations (L99P and K242N) in affected members of 2 of 12 families. The L99P mutation had previously been reported as a homozygous defect in an unrelated child of Nigerian origin with rickets. In silico analyses predicted impaired CYP2R1 folding or reduced interaction with substrate vitamin D by L99P and K242N mutations, respectively. In vitro studies of the mutant CYP2R1 proteins in HEK293 cells confirmed normal expression levels but completely absent or markedly reduced 25-hydroxylase activity by the L99P and K242N mutations, respectively. Heterozygous subjects had more moderate biochemical and clinical features of vitamin D deficiency than homozygous subjects. After an oral bolus dose of 50,000 IU of vitamin D 2 or vitamin D 3 , heterozygous subjects had lower increases in serum 25(OH)D than control subjects, and homozygous subjects had minimal increases, supporting a semidominant

Multiple splicing defects in an intronic false exon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, H; Chasin, L A

2000-09-01

Splice site consensus sequences alone are insufficient to dictate the recognition of real constitutive splice sites within the typically large transcripts of higher eukaryotes, and large numbers of pseudoexons flanked by pseudosplice sites with good matches to the consensus sequences can be easily designated. In an attempt to identify elements that prevent pseudoexon splicing, we have systematically altered known splicing signals, as well as immediately adjacent flanking sequences, of an arbitrarily chosen pseudoexon from intron 1 of the human hprt gene. The substitution of a 5' splice site that perfectly matches the 5' consensus combined with mutation to match the CAG/G sequence of the 3' consensus failed to get this model pseudoexon included as the central exon in a dhfr minigene context. Provision of a real 3' splice site and a consensus 5' splice site and removal of an upstream inhibitory sequence were necessary and sufficient to confer splicing on the pseudoexon. This activated context also supported the splicing of a second pseudoexon sequence containing no apparent enhancer. Thus, both the 5' splice site sequence and the polypyrimidine tract of the pseudoexon are defective despite their good agreement with the consensus. On the other hand, the pseudoexon body did not exert a negative influence on splicing. The introduction into the pseudoexon of a sequence selected for binding to ASF/SF2 or its replacement with beta-globin exon 2 only partially reversed the effect of the upstream negative element and the defective polypyrimidine tract. These results support the idea that exon-bridging enhancers are not a prerequisite for constitutive exon definition and suggest that intrinsically defective splice sites and negative elements play important roles in distinguishing the real splicing signal from the vast number of false splicing signals.

Association between the SMN2 gene copy number and clinical characteristics of patients with spinal muscular atrophy with homozygous deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Žarkov Marija

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by degeneration of alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata, causing progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. The aim of this study was to determine association between the SMN2 gene copy number and disease phenotype in Serbian patients with SMA with homozygous deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene. Methods. The patients were identified using regional Serbian hospital databases. Investigated clinical characteristics of the disease were: patients’ gender, age at disease onset, achieved and current developmental milestones, disease duration, current age, and the presence of the spinal deformities and joint contractures. The number of SMN1 and SMN2 gene copies was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Results. Among 43 identified patients, 37 (86.0% showed homozygous deletion of SMN1 exon 7. One (2.7% of 37 patients had SMA type I with 3 SMN2 copies, 11 (29.7% patients had SMA type II with 3.1 ± 0.7 copies, 17 (45.9% patients had SMA type III with 3.7 ± 0.9 copies, while 8 (21.6% patients had SMA type IV with 4.2 ± 0.9 copies. There was a progressive increase in the SMN2 gene copy number from type II towards type IV (p < 0.05. A higher SMN2 gene copy number was associated with better current motor performance (p < 0.05. Conclusion. In the Serbian patients with SMA, a higher SMN2 gene copy number correlated with less severe disease phenotype. A possible effect of other phenotype modifiers should not be neglected.

Identification of PPAP2B as a novel recurrent translocation partner gene of HMGA2 in lipomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchini, Laurence; Birtwisle, Loïc; Saâda, Esma; Bazin, Audrey; Long, Elodie; Roussel, Jean-François; Michiels, Jean-François; Forest, Fabien; Dani, Christian; Myklebost, Ola; Birtwisle-Peyrottes, Isabelle; Pedeutour, Florence

2013-06-01

Most lipomas are characterized by translocations involving the HMGA2 gene in 12q14.3. These rearrangements lead to the fusion of HMGA2 with an ectopic sequence from the translocation chromosome partner. Only five fusion partners of HMGA2 have been identified in lipomas so far. The identification of novel fusion partners of HMGA2 is important not only for diagnosis in soft tissue tumors but also because these genes might have an oncogenic role in other tumors. We observed that t(1;12)(p32;q14) was the second most frequent translocation in our series of lipomas after t(3;12)(q28;q14.3). We detected overexpression of HMGA2 mRNA and protein in all t(1;12)(p32;q14) lipomas. We used a fluorescence in situ hybridization-based positional cloning strategy to characterize the 1p32 breakpoint. In 11 cases, we identified PPAP2B, a member of the lipid phosphate phosphatases family as the 1p32 target gene. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis followed by nucleotide sequencing of the fusion transcript indicated that HMGA2 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) fused with exon 6 of PPAP2B in one case. In other t(1;12) cases, the breakpoint was extragenic, located in the 3'region flanking PPAP2B 3'UTR. Moreover, in one case showing a t(1;6)(p32;p21) we observed a rearrangement of PPAP2B and HMGA1, which suggests that HMGA1 might also be a fusion partner for PPAP2B. Our results also revealed that adipocytic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue was associated with a significant decrease in PPAP2B mRNA expression suggesting that PPAP2B might play a role in adipogenesis. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A novel deletion in the splice donor site of MLH1 exon 6 in a Japanese colon cancer patient with Lynch syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Junya; Sato, Yuri; Kita, Mizuho; Nomura, Sachio; Yamamoto, Noriko; Kato, Yo; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Arai, Masami

2015-10-01

Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disease that is characterized by a predisposition to cancers, mainly colorectal cancer. Germline mutations of DNA mismatch repair genes such as MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 have been described in patients with Lynch syndrome. Here, we report deletion of 2 bp in the splice donor site of the MLH1 exon 6 (c.545+4_545+5delCA) in a 48-year-old Japanese woman with Lynch syndrome. RT-PCR direct sequencing analysis revealed that this mutation led to an increase in the level of an MLH1 transcript in which exon 6 was skipped, and may cause a frameshift (p.E153FfsX8). Therefore, this mutation appears to be pathogenic and is responsible for Lynch syndrome. Additionally, analysis of the patient's tumor cells indicated microsatellite instability high phenotype and loss of the MLH1 and PMS2 proteins. To our knowledge, this is a germline splice site mutation of MLH1 that has not been reported previously. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Observation of the hadronic transitions χb1,2(2P)→ωΥ(1S)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Park, C.S.; Park, W.; Thayer, J.B.; Thorndike, E.H.; Coan, T.E.; Gao, Y.S.; Liu, F.; Stroynowski, R.; Artuso, M.; Boulahouache, C.; Blusk, S.; Dambasuren, E.; Dorjkhaidav, O.; Mountain, R.; Muramatsu, H.; Nandakumar, R.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Wang, J.C.

2004-01-01

The CLEO Collaboration has made the first observations of hadronic transitions among bottomonium (bb-bar) states other than the dipion transitions among Υ(nS) states. In our study of Υ(3S) decays, we find a significant signal for Υ(3S)→γωΥ(1S) that is consistent with radiative decays Υ(3S)→γχ b1,2 (2P), followed by χ b1,2 (2P)→ωΥ(1S). The branching ratios we obtain are B[χ b1 (2P)→ωΥ(1S)]=(1.63 -0.31-0.15 +0.35+0.16 )% and B[χ b2 (2P)→ωΥ(1S)]=(1.10 -0.28-0.10 +0.32+0.11 )%, in which the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.

LytB1 and LytB2 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Are Not Genetically Redundant.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Claire Brown

Full Text Available Mycobacterium tuberculosis synthesises isoprenoid precursors via the MEP/DOXP pathway and at least five enzymes in the pathway (Dxs1, Dxr/IspC, IspD, IspF, and GcpE/IspG are required for growth in vitro. We investigated the role of LytB (IspH in M. tuberculosis; M. tuberculosis is unusual in that it has two homologs-LytB1 and LytB2. We were unable to delete the lytB2 gene unless we provided an additional copy elsewhere, demonstrating that this is the essential homolog. We expressed lytB1 from the lytB2 promoter and confirmed that this could not complement for loss of function of lytB2, despite LytB1 possessing all the previously described conserved critical residues. Interestingly the sole LytB homolog of Mycobacterium smegmatis was able to compensate for loss of LytB2 in M. tuberculosis. We tested translational fusions of LytB1 and LytB2 for functionality in M. tuberculosis, but only a fusion with 90% N-terminal LytB2 and 10% C-terminal LytB1 was functional. In order to identify the key difference between the two proteins, site directed mutagenesis was used to change LytB2 residues into their counterparts in LytB1. None of these amino acid substitutions was essential for function and all lytB2 mutant alleles were functional. In contrast, mutation of the key residues for [Fe4S4] cluster formation, as well as a catalytic residue in LytB1 did not result in functional complementation. Thus, although LytB1 and LytB2 are not genetically redundant, this is not dependent on small amino acid changes, but is likely to be a result of major overall structural differences.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene modification in transgenic animals: functional consequences of selected exon and regulatory region deletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Shelley; Zhang, Limin; Marquez, Michael; de la Torre, Brian; Long, Jeffery M; Bucht, Goran; Taylor, Palmer

2005-12-15

AChE is an alternatively spliced gene. Exons 2, 3 and 4 are invariantly spliced, and this sequence is responsible for catalytic function. The 3' alternatively spliced exons, 5 and 6, are responsible for AChE disposition in tissue [J. Massoulie, The origin of the molecular diversity and functional anchoring of cholinesterases. Neurosignals 11 (3) (2002) 130-143; Y. Li, S. Camp, P. Taylor, Tissue-specific expression and alternative mRNA processing of the mammalian acetylcholinesterase gene. J. Biol. Chem. 268 (8) (1993) 5790-5797]. The splice to exon 5 produces the GPI anchored form of AChE found in the hematopoietic system, whereas the splice to exon 6 produces a sequence that binds to the structural subunits PRiMA and ColQ, producing AChE expression in brain and muscle. A third alternative RNA species is present that is not spliced at the 3' end; the intron 3' of exon 4 is used as coding sequence and produces the read-through, unanchored form of AChE. In order to further understand the role of alternative splicing in the expression of the AChE gene, we have used homologous recombination in stem cells to produce gene specific deletions in mice. Alternatively and together exon 5 and exon 6 were deleted. A cassette containing the neomycin gene flanked by loxP sites was used to replace the exon(s) of interest. Tissue analysis of mice with exon 5 deleted and the neomycin cassette retained showed very low levels of AChE expression, far less than would have been anticipated. Only the read-through species of the enzyme was produced; clearly the inclusion of the selection cassette disrupted splicing of exon 4 to exon 6. The selection cassette was then deleted in exon 5, exon 6 and exons 5 + 6 deleted mice by breeding to Ella-cre transgenic mice. AChE expression in serum, brain and muscle has been analyzed. Another AChE gene targeted mouse strain involving a region in the first intron, found to be critical for AChE expression in muscle cells [S. Camp, L. Zhang, M. Marquez, B

The proximal first exon architecture of the murine ghrelin gene is highly similar to its human orthologue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seim Inge

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The murine ghrelin gene (Ghrl, originally sequenced from stomach tissue, contains five exons and a single transcription start site in a short, 19 bp first exon (exon 0. We recently isolated several novel first exons of the human ghrelin gene and found evidence of a complex transcriptional repertoire. In this report, we examined the 5' exons of the murine ghrelin orthologue in a range of tissues using 5' RACE. Findings 5' RACE revealed two transcription start sites (TSSs in exon 0 and four TSSs in intron 0, which correspond to 5' extensions of exon 1. Using quantitative, real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR, we demonstrated that extended exon 1 containing Ghrl transcripts are largely confined to the spleen, adrenal gland, stomach, and skin. Conclusion We demonstrate that multiple transcription start sites are present in exon 0 and an extended exon 1 of the murine ghrelin gene, similar to the proximal first exon organisation of its human orthologue. The identification of several transcription start sites in intron 0 of mouse ghrelin (resulting in an extension of exon 1 raises the possibility that developmental-, cell- and tissue-specific Ghrl mRNA species are created by employing alternative promoters and further studies of the murine ghrelin gene are warranted.

α-Synuclein and huntingtin exon 1 amyloid fibrils bind laterally to the cellular membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Monsellier, Elodie; Bousset, Luc; Melki, Ronald

2016-01-13

Fibrillar aggregates involved in neurodegenerative diseases have the ability to spread from one cell to another in a prion-like manner. The underlying molecular mechanisms, in particular the binding mode of the fibrils to cell membranes, are poorly understood. In this work we decipher the modality by which aggregates bind to the cellular membrane, one of the obligatory steps of the propagation cycle. By characterizing the binding properties of aggregates made of α-synuclein or huntingtin exon 1 protein displaying similar composition and structure but different lengths to mammalian cells we demonstrate that in both cases aggregates bind laterally to the cellular membrane, with aggregates extremities displaying little or no role in membrane binding. Lateral binding to artificial liposomes was also observed by transmission electron microscopy. In addition we show that although α-synuclein and huntingtin exon 1 fibrils bind both laterally to the cellular membrane, their mechanisms of interaction differ. Our findings have important implications for the development of future therapeutic tools that aim to block protein aggregates propagation in the brain.

In vitro study of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 adsorption on zeolite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Basić Zorica

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Zeolites are the hydratised alumosilicates of alcali and earthalcali cations, which have a long three-dimensional crystal structure. Preparations on the basis of zeolites are used for adsorption of organic and nonorganic toxic substances and they, also, find more and more use in veterinary and human medicine and pharmacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibilities of zeolite to adsorb vitamins B1, B2 and B6 in acid and neutral solutions, as well as the characteristics of the process (saturability, reversibility and competitivness. Methods. The specific and sensitive HPLC method with fluorescent detector was used for determination of vitamins B1, B2 and B6. Analyte separation and detection were carried out by applying the reverse-phase method on column C18. An in vitro experiment was done by testing the influence of pH value (2 and 7, concentration of vitamin solution (1, 2 and 5 mg/L, the lenght of contact with zeolite (10-180 min and cation competitiveness on the exchange capacity, which is achieved by media and zeolite contact, as well as a possible vitamins desorption through changing pH value of the solution at 37°C. Jon competitiveness was examined by adding commercial feed mixture (grower with a defined content of the examined vitamines in zeolite solutions the pH = 2 and pH = 7. Results. Vitamins B1, B2 and B6 were stable in both pH=2 and pH = 7 solutions at 37°C, in the defined time intervals. In acid solution concentrations of vitamins significantly declined in the first 10 min, with no significant decline in further 30 min for all the three concentrations testch. In neutral solution, after the addition of 1% zeolite, decrease in vitamins concentrations was slightly lower than in acid solution, but also significant in the first 10 min of the contact with zeolite. It was found that zeolite, which adsorbed vitamins in acid solution, transferred in the neutral one released a significant quantity of adsorbed

Inactivating Mutation screening of Exon 6 and Exon 10E of FSHR gene in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Vellore population

Science.gov (United States)

Sekar, Nishu; Sapre, Madhura; Kale, Vaikhari; Prabhu, Yogamaya D.; Renu, Kaviyarasi; Ramgir, Shalaka S.; Abilash, V. G.

2017-11-01

Polycystic Ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a major cause of infertility in females of reproducing age and is typified by oligo-anovulation, hyperandrogenism, hirsutism and polycystic ovaries. FSHR gene located on chromosome 2 p21 is responsible for the normal follicular development and any deletion or mutation in the gene affects the interaction of FSH with its receptor. Thus, it becomes the candidate gene for PCOS study. Inactivating mutation in FSHR gene limits the receptor’s function by creating a complete block, changing the receptor-ligand complex or the basic hormone signal transduction.To screen the inactivating mutations in Exon 6 and Exon 10E of FSHR gene in women diagnosed with PCOS.PCR-RFLP analysis indicated that there were no inactivating mutations found in Exon 6 and Exon 10E. Variations in hormone levels were seen amongst the PCOS patients. There were no inactivating mutations found in FSHR gene of the women diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria in Vellore population.

Linkage of genes for laminin B1 and B2 subunits on chromosome 1 in mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, R W; Barlow, D; Hogan, B L

1985-08-01

We have used cDNA clones for the B1 and B2 subunits of laminin to find restriction fragment length DNA polymorphisms for the genes encoding these polypeptides in the mouse. Three alleles were found for LamB2 and two for LamB1 among the inbred mouse strains. The segregation of these polymorphisms among recombinant inbred strains showed that these genes are tightly linked in the central region of mouse Chromosome 1 between Sas-1 and Ly-m22, 7.4 +/- 3.2 cM distal to the Pep-3 locus. There is no evidence in the mouse for pseudogenes for these proteins.

The ρ(ω)B*(B) interaction and states of J = 0, 1, 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez-Soler, P.; Sun, Zhi-Feng; Oset, E. [Centro Mixto Universidad de Valencia-CSIC Institutos de Investigacion de Paterna, Departamento de Fisica Teorica and IFIC, Valencia (Spain); Nieves, J. [Centro Mixto Universidad de Valencia-CSIC Institutos de Investigacion de Paterna, IFIC, Valencia (Spain)

2016-02-15

In this work, we study systems composed of a ρ/ω and B* meson pair. We find three bound states in isospin, spin-parity channels (1/2, 0{sup +}), (1/2, 1{sup +}), and (1/2, 2{sup +}). The state with J = 2 can be a good candidate for the B{sub 2}{sup *} (5747). We also study the ρB system, and a bound state with mass 5728 MeV and width around 20 MeV is obtained, which can be identified with the B1(5721) resonance. In the case of I = 3/2, one obtains repulsion and, thus, no exotic (molecular) mesons in this sector are generated in the approach. (orig.)

Antisense-induced exon skipping for duplications in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Ommen Gert-Jan B

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Antisense-mediated exon skipping is currently one of the most promising therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD. Using antisense oligonucleotides (AONs targeting specific exons the DMD reading frame is restored and partially functional dystrophins are produced. Following proof of concept in cultured muscle cells from patients with various deletions and point mutations, we now focus on single and multiple exon duplications. These mutations are in principle ideal targets for this approach since the specific skipping of duplicated exons would generate original, full-length transcripts. Methods Cultured muscle cells from DMD patients carrying duplications were transfected with AONs targeting the duplicated exons, and the dystrophin RNA and protein were analyzed. Results For two brothers with an exon 44 duplication, skipping was, even at suboptimal transfection conditions, so efficient that both exons 44 were skipped, thus generating, once more, an out-of-frame transcript. In such cases, one may resort to multi-exon skipping to restore the reading frame, as is shown here by inducing skipping of exon 43 and both exons 44. By contrast, in cells from a patient with an exon 45 duplication we were able to induce single exon 45 skipping, which allowed restoration of wild type dystrophin. The correction of a larger duplication (involving exons 52 to 62, by combinations of AONs targeting the outer exons, appeared problematic due to inefficient skipping and mistargeting of original instead of duplicated exons. Conclusion The correction of DMD duplications by exon skipping depends on the specific exons targeted. Its options vary from the ideal one, restoring for the first time the true, wild type dystrophin, to requiring more 'classical' skipping strategies, while the correction of multi-exon deletions may need the design of tailored approaches.

Optimization of chromatographic conditions for determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 by using liquid chromatography-mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadhaningtyas, Dillani Putri; Aryana, Nurhani; Aristiawan, Yosi; Styarini, Dyah

2017-11-01

The optimization of instrument condition and chromatographic separation for analysis of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 using liquid chromatography tandem with mass spectrometer detector was conducted in the aim to provide more accurate and reliable analysis results. The aflatoxin known to be serious threat for human health as it is classified as the carcinogenic compounds. The aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 were selected due to its extensive contamination in various agricultural commodities. The best chromatographic separation was obtained using C-18 column with gradient elution of solvent 5 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% formic acid in methanol at 7 minutes runtime analysis. The linearity of the detector showed satisfied results as the coefficient determination found to be 0.9994, 0.9996, 0.9998 and 0.9987 for aflatoxin B1, G1, B2, and G2 respectively in the range concentration from 1 to 20 ng/g. The quantifier ion selected for the aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 was m/z 285.1, 259, 243 and 313 respectively. The instrument precision at these quantifier ions also showed satisfied result with %RSD was around 3.4 to 6.8%. The optimized method present in this study can be used for further sample analysis.

Functional importance of different patterns of correlation between adjacent cassette exons in human and mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Tao; Xue, Chenghai; Bi, Jianning; Li, Tingting; Wang, Xiaowo; Zhang, Xuegong; Li, Yanda

2008-04-26

Alternative splicing expands transcriptome diversity and plays an important role in regulation of gene expression. Previous studies focus on the regulation of a single cassette exon, but recent experiments indicate that multiple cassette exons within a gene may interact with each other. This interaction can increase the potential to generate various transcripts and adds an extra layer of complexity to gene regulation. Several cases of exon interaction have been discovered. However, the extent to which the cassette exons coordinate with each other remains unknown. Based on EST data, we employed a metric of correlation coefficients to describe the interaction between two adjacent cassette exons and then categorized these exon pairs into three different groups by their interaction (correlation) patterns. Sequence analysis demonstrates that strongly-correlated groups are more conserved and contain a higher proportion of pairs with reading frame preservation in a combinatorial manner. Multiple genome comparison further indicates that different groups of correlated pairs have different evolutionary courses: (1) The vast majority of positively-correlated pairs are old, (2) most of the weakly-correlated pairs are relatively young, and (3) negatively-correlated pairs are a mixture of old and young events. We performed a large-scale analysis of interactions between adjacent cassette exons. Compared with weakly-correlated pairs, the strongly-correlated pairs, including both the positively and negatively correlated ones, show more evidence that they are under delicate splicing control and tend to be functionally important. Additionally, the positively-correlated pairs bear strong resemblance to constitutive exons, which suggests that they may evolve from ancient constitutive exons, while negatively and weakly correlated pairs are more likely to contain newly emerging exons.

Isolation and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class II B genes in cranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohyama, Tetsuo I; Akiyama, Takuya; Nishida, Chizuko; Takami, Kazutoshi; Onuma, Manabu; Momose, Kunikazu; Masuda, Ryuichi

2015-11-01

In this study, we isolated and characterized the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II B genes in cranes. Genomic sequences spanning exons 1 to 4 were amplified and determined in 13 crane species and three other species closely related to cranes. In all, 55 unique sequences were identified, and at least two polymorphic MHC class II B loci were found in most species. An analysis of sequence polymorphisms showed the signature of positive selection and recombination. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on exon 2 sequences indicated that trans-species polymorphism has persisted for at least 10 million years, whereas phylogenetic analyses of the sequences flanking exon 2 revealed a pattern of concerted evolution. These results suggest that both balancing selection and recombination play important roles in the crane MHC evolution.

The Prevalence of JAK2, MPL, and CALR Mutations in Chinese Patients With BCR-ABL1-Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yani; Liu, Enbin; Sun, Qi; Ma, Jiao; Li, QingHua; Cao, Zeng; Wang, Jun; Jia, Yujiao; Zhang, Hongju; Song, Zhen; Ai, Xiaofei; Shi, Lihui; Feng, Xiaofang; Li, Chenwei; Wang, Jianxiang; Ru, Kun

2015-07-01

To evaluate the mutation frequency of JAK2 V617F, JAK2 exon 12, MPL exon 10, and CALR exon 9 and the value of the combined tests in the diagnosis of BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). In the current study, mutations of JAK2 V617F, JAK2 exon 12, MPL exon 10, and CALR exon 9 were analyzed in 929 Chinese patients with BCR-ABL1-negative MPN, including 234 cases of polycythemia vera (PV), 428 ETs, 187 PMFs, and 80 unclassifiable MPNs (MPN-Us). Our result showed that the positive rate of any of four mutations in patients with PV, ET, PMF, and MPN-U was 89.3%, 83.4%, 87.2%, and 77.5%, respectively, which significantly improved the diagnostic rate, especially in ET and PMF. Meanwhile, we also found that the patients without any of four mutations were younger than those with one or more mutations. Unexpectedly, the coexistence of JAK2 V617F and CALR exon 9 was identified in six (0.6%) patients, and JAK2 V617F and MPL exon 10 were present simultaneously in two (0.2%) patients. In addition, we also identified several novel mutation types in CALR exon 9. The combined genetic tests of JAK2 V617F, JAK2 exon 12, MPL exon 10, and CALR exon 9 help improve the diagnostic rate for BCR-ABL1-negative MPN. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Common pathological mutations in PQBP1 induce nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and enhance exclusion of the mutant exon.

Science.gov (United States)

Musante, Luciana; Kunde, Stella-Amrei; Sulistio, Tina O; Fischer, Ute; Grimme, Astrid; Frints, Suzanna G M; Schwartz, Charles E; Martínez, Francisco; Romano, Corrado; Ropers, Hans-Hilger; Kalscheuer, Vera M

2010-01-01

The polyglutamine binding protein 1 (PQBP1) gene plays an important role in X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Nine of the thirteen PQBP1 mutations known to date affect the AG hexamer in exon 4 and cause frameshifts introducing premature termination codons (PTCs). However, the phenotype in this group of patients is variable. To investigate the pathology of these PQBP1 mutations, we evaluated their consequences on mRNA and protein expression. RT-PCRs revealed mutation-specific reduction of PQBP1 mRNAs carrying the PTCs that can be partially restored by blocking translation, thus indicating a role for the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway. In addition, these mutations resulted in altered levels of PQBP1 transcripts that skipped exon 4, probably as a result of altering important splicing motifs via nonsense-associated altered splicing (NAS). This hypothesis is supported by transfection experiments using wild-type and mutant PQBP1 minigenes. Moreover, we show that a truncated PQBP1 protein is indeed present in the patients. Remarkably, patients with insertion/deletion mutations in the AG hexamer express significantly increased levels of a PQBP1 isoform, which is very likely encoded by the transcripts without exon 4, confirming the findings at the mRNA level. Our study provides significant insight into the early events contributing to the pathogenesis of the PQBP1 related XLMR disease.

Characterization of TTN Novex Splicing Variants across Species and the Role of RBM20 in Novex-Specific Exon Splicing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhilong Chen

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Titin (TTN is a major disease-causing gene in cardiac muscle. Titin (TTN contains 363 exons in human encoding various sizes of TTN protein due to alternative splicing regulated mainly by RNA binding motif 20 (RBM20. Three isoforms of TTN protein are produced by mutually exclusive exons 45 (Novex 1, 46 (Novex 2, and 48 (Novex 3. Alternatively splicing in Novex isoforms across species and whether Novex isoforms are associated with heart disease remains completely unknown. Cross-species exon comparison with the mVISTA online tool revealed that exon 45 is more highly conserved across all species than exons 46 and 48. Importantly, a conserved region between exons 47 and 48 across species was revealed for the first time. Reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and DNA sequencing confirmed a new exon named as 48′ in Novex 3. In addition, with primer pairs for Novex 1, a new truncated form preserving introns 44 and 45 was discovered. We discovered that Novex 2 is not expressed in the pig, mouse, and rat with Novex 2 primer pairs. Unexpectedly, three truncated forms were identified. One TTN variant with intron 46 retention is mainly expressed in the human and frog heart, another variant with co-expression of exons 45 and 46 exists predominantly in chicken and frog heart, and a third with retention of introns 45 and 46 is mainly expressed in pig, mouse, rat, and chicken. Using Rbm20 knockout rat heart, we revealed that RBM20 is not a splicing regulator of Novex variants. Furthermore, the expression levels of Novex variants in human hearts with cardiomyopathies suggested that Novexes 2 and 3 could be associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM and/or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC. Taken together, our study reveals that splicing diversity of Novex exons across species and Novex variants might play a role in cardiomyopathy.

L1-mediated retrotransposition of murine B1 and B2 SINEs recapitulated in cultured cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewannieux, Marie; Heidmann, Thierry

2005-06-03

SINEs are short interspersed nucleotide elements with transpositional activity, present at a high copy number (up to a million) in mammalian genomes. They are 80-400 bp long, non-coding sequences which derive either from the 7SL RNA (e.g. human Alus, murine B1s) or tRNA (e.g. murine B2s) polymerase III-driven genes. We have previously demonstrated that Alus very efficiently divert the enzymatic machinery of the autonomous L1 LINE (long interspersed nucleotide element) retrotransposons to transpose at a high rate. Here we show, using an ex vivo assay for transposition, that both B1 and B2 SINEs can be mobilized by murine LINEs, with the hallmarks of a bona fide retrotransposition process, including target site duplications of varying lengths and integrations into A-rich sequences. Despite different phylogenetic origins, transposition of the tRNA-derived B2 sequences is as efficient as that of the human Alus, whereas that of B1s is 20-100-fold lower despite a similar high copy number of these elements in the mouse genome. We provide evidence, via an appropriate nucleotide substitution within the B1 sequence in a domain essential for its intracellular targeting, that the current B1 SINEs are not optimal for transposition, a feature most probably selected for the host sake in the course of evolution.

Clinical efficacy of first-generation EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR exon 20 mutations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen D

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Dan Chen,1 Zhengbo Song,2 Guoping Cheng3 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 2Department of Chemotherapy, 3Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Subsets of non-small-cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR mutations carry uncommon subtypes. We evaluated the efficacy of first-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs; erlotinib, gefitinib, and icotinib in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer carrying insertions and T790M and S768I mutations in EGFR exon 20. Patients and methods: Patients carrying EGFR exon 20 insertion/T790M/S768I mutations and treated with EGFR-TKIs were evaluated from 2005 to 2014 in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital. The efficacy was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Results: Sixty-two patients with exon 20 insertion/T790M/S768I mutations were enrolled. Mutations including exon 20 insertions and T790M and S768I mutations were observed in 29, 23, and ten patients, respectively. In total, the response rate and median progression-free survival (PFS were 8.1% and 2.1 months, respectively. Patients with S768I mutation manifested the longest median PFS (2.7 months, followed by those with T790M (2.4 months and exon 20 insertions (1.9 months; P=0.022. Patients with complex mutations show a better PFS than those with single mutations (2.7 months vs 1.9 months; P=0.034. Conclusion: First-generation EGFR-TKIs are less effective in patients with exon 20 uncommon mutations than in those with common mutations. Patients with complex mutations benefited more from first-generation EGFR-TKIs than those with single mutations. Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR mutations, exon 20, tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Context Dependent Effects of Chimeric Peptide Morpholino Conjugates Contribute to Dystrophin Exon-skipping Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HaiFang Yin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We have recently reported that cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs and novel chimeric peptides containing CPP (referred as B peptide and muscle-targeting peptide (referred as MSP motifs significantly improve the systemic exon-skipping activity of morpholino phosphorodiamidate oligomers (PMOs in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. In the present study, the general mechanistic significance of the chimeric peptide configuration on the activity and tissue uptake of peptide conjugated PMOs in vivo was investigated. Four additional chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates including newly identified peptide 9 (B-9-PMO and 9-B-PMO and control peptide 3 (B-3-PMO and 3-B-PMO were tested in mdx mice. Immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR and western blot results indicated that B-9-PMO induced significantly higher level of exon skipping and dystrophin restoration than its counterpart (9-B-PMO, further corroborating the notion that the activity of chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates is dependent on relative position of the tissue-targeting peptide motif within the chimeric peptide with respect to PMOs. Subsequent mechanistic studies showed that enhanced cellular uptake of B-MSP-PMO into muscle cells leads to increased exon-skipping activity in comparison with MSP-B-PMO. Surprisingly, further evidence showed that the uptake of chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates of both orientations (B-MSP-PMO and MSP-B-PMO was ATP- and temperature-dependent and also partially mediated by heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG, indicating that endocytosis is likely the main uptake pathway for both chimeric peptide-PMO conjugates. Collectively, our data demonstrate that peptide orientation in chimeric peptides is an important parameter that determines cellular uptake and activity when conjugated directly to oligonucleotides. These observations provide insight into the design of improved cell targeting compounds for future therapeutics studies.

7 CFR 301.85-2b - Exempted articles. 1

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Exempted articles. 1 301.85-2b Section 301.85-2b... § 301.85-2b Exempted articles. 1 1 The articles hereby exempted remain subject to applicable restrictions under other quarantines and other provisions of this subpart. (a) The following articles are...

An intronic variation in SLC52A1 causes exon skipping and transient riboflavin-responsive multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenation deficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosegaard, Signe; Bruun, Gitte Hoffmann; Flyvbjerg, Karen Freund

2017-01-01

Vitamin B2, riboflavin is essential for cellular function, as it participates in a diversity of redox reactions central to human metabolism, through its role as precursor for the cofactors flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which are electron carriers. The electron...... site for the splice inhibitory hnRNP A1 protein and causes exon 4 skipping. Riboflavin deficiency and maternal malnutrition during pregnancy might have been the determining factor in the outcome of this case....... transfer flavoprotein (ETF) and its dehydrogenase (ETFDH), uses FAD as cofactor. The ETF and ETFDH are forming the electron transport pathway for many mitochondrial flavoprotein dehydrogenases involved in fatty acid, amino acid and choline metabolism. A variation in either ETF or ETFDH causes multiple acyl......-CoA dehydrogenation deficiency (MADD), but genetic variations in the riboflavin metabolism or transportation of riboflavin can also cause MADD. The most common variations are located in the riboflavin transporter 2 (RFVT2) and 3 (RFVT3), that are highly expressed in brain and intestinal tissues, respectively...

26 CFR 1.403(b)-2 - Definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES Pension, Profit-Sharing, Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.403(b)-2 Definitions. (a) Application... 1450(b) of the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 (110 Stat. 1755, 1814) for special rules...

Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome due to mutations in the RRM2B gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Bornstein, Belén; Area, Estela; Flanigan, Kevin M; Ganesh, Jaya; Jayakar, Parul; Swoboda, Kathryn J; Coku, Jorida; Naini, Ali; Shanske, Sara; Tanji, Kurenai; Hirano, Michio; DiMauro, Salvatore

2008-06-01

Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDS) is characterized by a reduction in mtDNA copy number and has been associated with mutations in eight nuclear genes, including enzymes involved in mitochondrial nucleotide metabolism (POLG, TK2, DGUOK, SUCLA2, SUCLG1, PEO1) and MPV17. Recently, mutations in the RRM2B gene, encoding the p53-controlled ribonucleotide reductase subunit, have been described in seven infants from four families, who presented with various combinations of hypotonia, tubulopathy, seizures, respiratory distress, diarrhea, and lactic acidosis. All children died before 4 months of age. We sequenced the RRM2B gene in three unrelated cases with unexplained severe mtDNA depletion. The first patient developed intractable diarrhea, profound weakness, respiratory distress, and died at 3 months. The other two unrelated patients had a much milder phenotype and are still alive at ages 27 and 36 months. All three patients had lactic acidosis and severe depletion of mtDNA in muscle. Muscle histochemistry showed RRF and COX deficiency. Sequencing the RRM2B gene revealed three missense mutations and two single nucleotide deletions in exons 6, 8, and 9, confirming that RRM2B mutations are important causes of MDS and that the clinical phenotype is heterogeneous and not invariably fatal in infancy.

An ancient duplication of exon 5 in the Snap25 gene is required for complex neuronal development/function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny U Johansson

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Alternative splicing is an evolutionary innovation to create functionally diverse proteins from a limited number of genes. SNAP-25 plays a central role in neuroexocytosis by bridging synaptic vesicles to the plasma membrane during regulated exocytosis. The SNAP-25 polypeptide is encoded by a single copy gene, but in higher vertebrates a duplication of exon 5 has resulted in two mutually exclusive splice variants, SNAP-25a and SNAP-25b. To address a potential physiological difference between the two SNAP-25 proteins, we generated gene targeted SNAP-25b deficient mouse mutants by replacing the SNAP-25b specific exon with a second SNAP-25a equivalent. Elimination of SNAP-25b expression resulted in developmental defects, spontaneous seizures, and impaired short-term synaptic plasticity. In adult mutants, morphological changes in hippocampus and drastically altered neuropeptide expression were accompanied by severe impairment of spatial learning. We conclude that the ancient exon duplication in the Snap25 gene provides additional SNAP-25-function required for complex neuronal processes in higher eukaryotes.

B1 to B2 structural phase transition in LiF under pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Aayushi; Dixit, R. C.

2018-05-01

In the last few decades the alkali halides emerged as crystals with useful applications and their high-pressure behaviour is the most intensively studied subject in high-pressure physics/chemistry, material science, and geosciences. Most alkali halides follow the B1 (NaCl-type)→B2 (CsCl-type) phase-transition route under pressure. In the present paper, we have investigated the characteristics of structural phase transition that occurred in Lithium Florid compound under high pressure. The transition pressure of B1-B2 was calculated using an effective interionic interaction potential (EIOP). The changes of the characteristics of crystals like, Gibbs free energy, cohesive energy, volume collapse, and lattice constant are calculated for the B1 and B2 structures. These data were compared with the available experimental and theoretical data.

Effect of BRCA2 sequence variants predicted to disrupt exonic splice enhancers on BRCA2 transcripts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brewster Brooke L

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic screening of breast cancer patients and their families have identified a number of variants of unknown clinical significance in the breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. Evaluation of such unclassified variants may be assisted by web-based bioinformatic prediction tools, although accurate prediction of aberrant splicing by unclassified variants affecting exonic splice enhancers (ESEs remains a challenge. Methods This study used a combination of RT-PCR analysis and splicing reporter minigene assays to assess five unclassified variants in the BRCA2 gene that we had previously predicted to disrupt an ESE using bioinformatic approaches. Results Analysis of BRCA2 c.8308 G > A (p.Ala2770Thr by mRNA analysis, and BRCA2 c.8962A > G (p.Ser2988Gly, BRCA2 c.8972G > A (p.Arg2991His, BRCA2 c.9172A > G (p.Ser3058Gly, and BRCA2 c.9213G > T (p.Glu3071Asp by a minigene assay, revealed no evidence for aberrant splicing. Conclusions These results illustrate the need for improved methods for predicting functional ESEs and the potential consequences of sequence variants contained therein.

No evidence for mutations in exons 1, 8 and 18 of the patched gene in sporadic skin lesions of Brazilian patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Granja F.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available There is strong evidence that the patched (PTCH gene is a gene for susceptibility to the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. PTCH has also been shown to mutate in both familial and sporadic basal cell carcinomas. However, mutations of the gene seem to be rare in squamous cell carcinomas. In order to characterize the role of the gene in the broader spectrum of sporadic skin malignant and pre-malignant lesions, we performed a polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP analysis of genomic DNA extracted from 105 adult patients (46 females and 59 males. There were 66 patients with basal cell carcinomas, 30 with squamous cell carcinomas, 2 with malignant melanomas and 7 patients with precancerous lesions. Two tissue samples were collected from each patient, one from the central portion of the tumor and another from normal skin. Using primers that encompass the entire exon 1, exon 8 and exon 18, where most of the mutations have been detected, we were unable to demonstrate any band shift. Three samples suspected to present aberrant migrating bands were excised from the gel and sequenced directly. In addition, we sequenced 12 other cases, including tumors and corresponding normal samples. A wild-type sequence was found in all 15 cases. Although our results do not exclude the presence of clonal alterations of the PTCH gene in skin cancers or mutations in other exons that were not screened, the present data do not support the presence of frequent mutations reported for non-melanoma skin cancer of other populations.

Longitudinal changes in glucocorticoid receptor exon 1F methylation and psychopathology after military deployment.

Science.gov (United States)

Schür, R R; Boks, M P; Rutten, B P F; Daskalakis, N P; de Nijs, L; van Zuiden, M; Kavelaars, A; Heijnen, C J; Joëls, M; Kahn, R S; Geuze, E; Vermetten, E; Vinkers, C H

2017-07-25

Several cross-sectional studies have demonstrated the relevance of DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor exon 1 F region (GR-1 F ) for trauma-related psychopathology. We conducted a longitudinal study to examine GR-1 F methylation changes over time in relation to trauma exposure and the development of post-deployment psychopathology. GR-1 F methylation (52 loci) was quantified using pyrosequencing in whole blood of 92 military men 1 month before and 6 months after a 4-month deployment period to Afghanistan. GR-1 F methylation overall (mean methylation and the number of methylated loci) and functional methylation (methylation at loci associated with GR exon 1 F expression) measures were examined. We first investigated the effect of exposure to potentially traumatic events during deployment on these measures. Subsequently, changes in GR-1 F methylation were related to changes in mental health problems (total Symptom Checklist-90 score) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (Self-Report Inventory for PTSD). Trauma exposure during deployment was associated with an increase in all methylation measures, but development of mental health problems 6 months after deployment was only significantly associated with an increased functional methylation. Emergence of post-deployment PTSD symptoms was not related to increased functional methylation over time. Pre-deployment methylation levels did not predict post-deployment psychopathology. To our knowledge, this is the first study to prospectively demonstrate trauma-related increases in GR-1 F methylation, and it shows that only increases at specific functionally relevant sites predispose for post-deployment psychopathology.

Hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase SULT2B1b promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoming Yang

Full Text Available Hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase 2B1b (SULT2B1b is highly selective for the addition of sulfate groups to 3β-hydroxysteroids. Although previous reports have suggested that SULT2B1b is correlated with cell proliferation of hepatocytes, the relationship between SULT2B1b and the malignant phenotype of hepatocarcinoma cells was not clear. In the present study, we found that SULT2B1 was comparatively higher in the human hepatocarcinoma tumorous tissues than their adjacent tissues. Besides, SULT2B1b overexpression promoted the growth of the mouse hepatocarcinoma cell line Hepa1-6, while Lentivirus-mediated SULT2B1b interference inhibited growth as assessed by the CCK-8 assay. Likewise, inhibition of SULT2B1b expression induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in Hepa1-6 cells by upregulating the expression of FAS, downregulating the expression of cyclinB1, BCL2 and MYC in vitro and in vivo at both the transcript and protein levels. Knock-down of SULT2B1b expression significantly suppressed tumor growth in nude mouse xenografts. Moreover, proliferation rates and SULT2B1b expression were highly correlated in the human hepatocarcinoma cell lines Huh-7, Hep3B, SMMC-7721 and BEL-7402 cells. Knock-down of SULT2B1b inhibited cell growth and cyclinB1 levels in human hepatocarcinoma cells and suppressed xenograft growth in vivo. In conclusion, SULT2B1b expression promotes proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo, which may contribute to the progression of HCC.

Use of epitope libraries to identify exon-specific monoclonal antibodies for characterization of altered dystrophins in muscular dystrophy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen thi Man; Morris, G.E. (North East Wales Inst., Clwyd (United Kingdom))

1993-06-01

The majority of mutations in Xp21-linked muscular dystrophy (MD) can be identified by PCR or Southern blotting, as deletions or duplications of groups of exons in the dystrophin gene, but it is not always possible to predict how much altered dystrophin, if any, will be produced. Use of exon-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) on muscle biopsies from MD patients can, in principle, provide information on both the amount of altered dystrophin produced and, when dystrophin is present, the nature of the genetic deletion or point mutation. For this purpose, mAbs which recognize regions of dystrophin encoded by known exons and whose binding is unaffected by the absence of adjacent exons are required. To map mAbs to specific exons, random [open quotes]libraries[close quotes] of expressed dystrophin fragments were created by cloning DNAseI digestion fragments of a 4.3-kb dystrophin cDNA into a pTEX expression vector. The libraries were then used to locate the epitopes recognized by 48 mAbs to fragments of 25--60 amino acids within the 1,434-amino-acid dystrophin fragment used to produce the antibodies. This is sufficiently detailed to allow further refinement by using synthetic peptides and, in many cases, to identify the exon in the DMD (Duchenne MD) gene which encodes the epitope. To illustrate their use in dystrophin analysis, a Duchenne patient with a frameshift deletion of exons 42 and 43 makes a truncated dystrophin encoded by exons 1--41, and the authors now show that this can be detected in the sarcolemma by mAbs up to and including those specific for exon 41 epitopes but not by mAbs specific for exon 43 or later epitopes. 38 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

Formation and early hydration characteristics of C2.75B1.25A3$ in binary system of C2.75B1.25A3$-C2S

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang, Shoude

2016-09-01

Full Text Available C2.75B1.25A3$ (2.75CaO•1.25BaO• 3Al2O3• SO3 is one of the important minerals and it govern-directly the early-strength of belite-barium calcium sulphoaluminate cement. In this paper a binary system C2.75B1.25A3$-C2S is selected to investigate the formation of C2.75B1.25A3$. In the range of 1100 °C–1200 °C, the earlier formed C2S hinders the formation of C2.75B1.25A3$. On the contrary, when the temperature is in the range of 1200 °C–1350 °C, the initially formed C2S could provide a surface for the nucleation of C2.75B1.25A3$ and cut down the potential barrier (?Gk* for the heterogeneous nucleation of C2.75B1.25A3$, which contributes to its formation. Moreover, at 1350 °C, the large amount of previously formed C2S benefits the extent of formation of C2.75B1.25A3$. The possible reason was that it could prevent sulfur evaporation. In early hydration age, AFm and AFt originating from C2.75B1.25A3$ hydration are found within 2 h and 12 h under 95% RH at 1 °C, respectively, whereas C2S is unhydrated at this moment.En el cemento de sulfoaluminato de calcio y bario, el C2.75B1.25A3$ (2.75CaO•1.25BaO• 3Al2 O3• SO3 es una de las principales fases, y regula directamente la resistencia inicial del cemento. En este trabajo, se ha seleccionado el sistema binario C2.75B1.25A3$-C2S para investigar la formación de C2.75B1.25A3$. En el rango de 1100 °C-1200 °C, el C2S formado anteriormente impide la formación de C2.75B1.25A3$, mientras que cuando la temperatura está entre 1200 °C-1350 °C, el C2S proporcionaría una superficie de nucleación de C2.75B1.25A3$ reduciendo la barrera de potencial (?Gk* para la nucleación heterogénea de C2.75B1.25A3$, lo que contribuye a su formación. Además, a 1350 °C, la gran cantidad de C2S formado beneficia la formación de C2.75B1.25A3$, ya que podía prevenir la evaporación del azufre. En las primeras etapas de la hidratación (entre 2 y 12h y 95% HR a 1 ºC se pueden encontrar AFM y AFt

Contribution of CYP1B1 mutations and founder effect to primary congenital glaucoma in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenteno, Juan Carlos; Hernandez-Merino, Elena; Mejia-Lopez, Herlinda; Matías-Florentino, Margarita; Michel, Norma; Elizondo-Olascoaga, Celia; Korder-Ortega, Vincent; Casab-Rueda, Homero; Garcia-Ortiz, Jose Elias

2008-01-01

The frequency of primary congenital glaucoma (PCG)-causing CYP1B1 mutations varies importantly among distinct populations, ranging from 20% in Indonesians and Japanese to about 100% among the Saudi Arabians and Slovakian Gypsies. Thus, the molecular characterization of large groups of PCG from different ethnic backgrounds is important to establish the actual CYP1B1 contribution in specific populations. In this work, the molecular analysis of the CYP1B1 gene in a group of Mexican PCG patients is reported. Thirty unrelated Mexican patients fulfilling the clinical criteria for PCG were included. Two cases were familial and with proven consanguinity, originating from distinct regions of the country. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct automated sequencing of the CYP1B1 coding region was performed in each participating subject. An identical pathogenic CYP1B1 mutation was demonstrated in 2 unrelated PCG subjects. The mutation consisted of a homozygous G to A transition at nucleotide position 1505 in exon 3, which predicted a substitution of glutamic acid for lysine at residue 387 of the protein (E387K). In the remaining 28 PCG subjects, no deleterious mutations were identified. Both subjects with the E387K mutation shared a same haplotype for 5 CYP1B1 intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms, indicating a common origin of the allele. Mexican patients with PCG are rarely (less than 10%) due to CYP1B1 mutations. Available data indicate that most of the non-Brazilian Latin American PCG patients investigated to date are not due to CYP1B1 defects. Populations with low incidence of CYP1B1 mutations are appropriate candidates for the identification of novel PCG-causing genes.

Novel compound heterozygous Thyroglobulin mutations c.745+1G>A/c.7036+2T>A associated with congenital goiter and hypothyroidism in a Vietnamese family. Identification of a new cryptic 5' splice site in the exon 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Citterio, Cintia E; Morales, Cecilia M; Bouhours-Nouet, Natacha; Machiavelli, Gloria A; Bueno, Elena; Gatelais, Frédérique; Coutant, Regis; González-Sarmiento, Rogelio; Rivolta, Carina M; Targovnik, Héctor M

2015-03-15

Several patients were identified with dyshormonogenesis caused by mutations in the thyroglobulin (TG) gene. These defects are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and affected individuals are either homozygous or compound heterozygous for the mutations. The aim of the present study was to identify new TG mutations in a patient of Vietnamese origin affected by congenital hypothyroidism, goiter and low levels of serum TG. DNA sequencing identified the presence of compound heterozygous mutations in the TG gene: the maternal mutation consists of a novel c.745+1G>A (g.IVS6 + 1G>A), whereas the hypothetical paternal mutation consists of a novel c.7036+2T>A (g.IVS40 + 2T>A). The father was not available for segregation analysis. Ex-vivo splicing assays and subsequent RT-PCR analyses were performed on mRNA isolated from the eukaryotic-cells transfected with normal and mutant expression vectors. Minigene analysis of the c.745+1G>A mutant showed that the exon 6 is skipped during pre-mRNA splicing or partially included by use of a cryptic 5' splice site located to 55 nucleotides upstream of the authentic exon 6/intron 6 junction site. The functional analysis of c.7036+2T>A mutation showed a complete skipping of exon 40. The theoretical consequences of splice site mutations, predicted with the bioinformatics tool NNSplice, Fsplice, SPL, SPLM and MaxEntScan programs were investigated and evaluated in relation with the experimental evidence. These analyses predicted that both mutant alleles would result in the abolition of the authentic splice donor sites. The c.745+1G>A mutation originates two putative truncated proteins of 200 and 1142 amino acids, whereas c.7036+2T>A mutation results in a putative truncated protein of 2277 amino acids. In conclusion, we show that the c.745+1G>A mutation promotes the activation of a new cryptic donor splice site in the exon 6 of the TG gene. The functional consequences of these mutations could be structural changes in the protein

Aspirin hydrolysis in plasma is a variable function of butyrylcholinesterase and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase 1b2 (PAFAH1b2).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Gang; Marathe, Gopal K; Hartiala, Jaana; Hazen, Stanley L; Allayee, Hooman; Tang, W H Wilson; McIntyre, Thomas M

2013-04-26

Aspirin is rapidly hydrolyzed within erythrocytes by a heterodimer of PAFAH1b2/PAFAH1b3 but also in plasma by an unidentified activity. Hydrolysis in both compartments was variable, with a 12-fold variation in plasma among 2226 Cleveland Clinic GeneBank patients. Platelet inhibition by aspirin was suppressed in plasma that rapidly hydrolyzed aspirin. Plasma aspirin hydrolysis was significantly higher in patients with coronary artery disease compared with control subjects (16.5 ± 4.4 versus 15.1 ± 3.7 nmol/ml/min; p = 3.4 × 10(-8)). A genome-wide association study of 2054 GeneBank subjects identified a single locus immediately adjacent to the BCHE (butyrylcholinesterase) gene associated with plasma aspirin hydrolytic activity (lead SNP, rs6445035; p = 9.1 × 10(-17)). However, its penetrance was low, and plasma from an individual with an inactivating mutation in BCHE still effectively hydrolyzed aspirin. A second aspirin hydrolase was identified in plasma, the purification of which showed it to be homomeric PAFAH1b2. This is distinct from the erythrocyte PAFAH1b2/PAFAH1b3 heterodimer. Inhibitors showed that both butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and PAFAH1b2 contribute to aspirin hydrolysis in plasma, with variation primarily reflecting non-genetic variation of BChE activity. Therefore, aspirin is hydrolyzed in plasma by two enzymes, BChE and a new extracellular form of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, PAFAH1b2. Hydrolytic effectiveness varies widely primarily from non-genetic variation of BChE activity that affects aspirin bioavailability in blood and the ability of aspirin to inhibit platelet aggregation.

Aspirin Hydrolysis in Plasma Is a Variable Function of Butyrylcholinesterase and Platelet-activating Factor Acetylhydrolase 1b2 (PAFAH1b2)*

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Gang; Marathe, Gopal K.; Hartiala, Jaana; Hazen, Stanley L.; Allayee, Hooman; Tang, W. H. Wilson; McIntyre, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Aspirin is rapidly hydrolyzed within erythrocytes by a heterodimer of PAFAH1b2/PAFAH1b3 but also in plasma by an unidentified activity. Hydrolysis in both compartments was variable, with a 12-fold variation in plasma among 2226 Cleveland Clinic GeneBank patients. Platelet inhibition by aspirin was suppressed in plasma that rapidly hydrolyzed aspirin. Plasma aspirin hydrolysis was significantly higher in patients with coronary artery disease compared with control subjects (16.5 ± 4.4 versus 15.1 ± 3.7 nmol/ml/min; p = 3.4 × 10−8). A genome-wide association study of 2054 GeneBank subjects identified a single locus immediately adjacent to the BCHE (butyrylcholinesterase) gene associated with plasma aspirin hydrolytic activity (lead SNP, rs6445035; p = 9.1 × 10−17). However, its penetrance was low, and plasma from an individual with an inactivating mutation in BCHE still effectively hydrolyzed aspirin. A second aspirin hydrolase was identified in plasma, the purification of which showed it to be homomeric PAFAH1b2. This is distinct from the erythrocyte PAFAH1b2/PAFAH1b3 heterodimer. Inhibitors showed that both butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and PAFAH1b2 contribute to aspirin hydrolysis in plasma, with variation primarily reflecting non-genetic variation of BChE activity. Therefore, aspirin is hydrolyzed in plasma by two enzymes, BChE and a new extracellular form of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, PAFAH1b2. Hydrolytic effectiveness varies widely primarily from non-genetic variation of BChE activity that affects aspirin bioavailability in blood and the ability of aspirin to inhibit platelet aggregation. PMID:23508960

KIF1A, an axonal transporter of synaptic vesicles, is mutated in hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Ramalingam, Siriram; Lavastre, Valérie; Shekarabi, Masoud; Holbert, Sébastien; Lafontaine, Julie; Srour, Myriam; Merner, Nancy; Rochefort, Daniel; Hince, Pascale; Gaudet, Rébecca; Mes-Masson, Anne-Marie; Baets, Jonathan; Houlden, Henry; Brais, Bernard; Nicholson, Garth A; Van Esch, Hilde; Nafissi, Shahriar; De Jonghe, Peter; Reilly, Mary M; Timmerman, Vincent; Dion, Patrick A; Rouleau, Guy A

2011-08-12

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II (HSANII) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by peripheral nerve degeneration resulting in a severe distal sensory loss. Although mutations in FAM134B and the HSN2 exon of WNK1 were associated with HSANII, the etiology of a substantial number of cases remains unexplained. In addition, the functions of WNK1/HSN2 and FAM134B and their role in the peripheral nervous system remain poorly understood. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we found that KIF1A, an axonal transporter of synaptic vesicles, interacts with the domain encoded by the HSN2 exon. In parallel to this screen, we performed genome-wide homozygosity mapping in a consanguineous Afghan family affected by HSANII and identified a unique region of homozygosity located on chromosome 2q37.3 and spanning the KIF1A gene locus. Sequencing of KIF1A in this family revealed a truncating mutation segregating with the disease phenotype. Subsequent sequencing of KIF1A in a series of 112 unrelated patients with features belonging to the clinical spectrum of ulcero-mutilating sensory neuropathies revealed truncating mutations in three additional families, thus indicating that mutations in KIF1A are a rare cause of HSANII. Similarly to WNK1 mutations, pathogenic mutations in KIF1A were almost exclusively restricted to an alternatively spliced exon. This study provides additional insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HSANII and highlights the potential biological relevance of alternative splicing in the peripheral sensory nervous system. Copyright © 2011 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low brain ascorbic acid increases susceptibility to seizures in mouse models of decreased brain ascorbic acid transport and Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, Timothy A; Kang, Jing-Qiong; Kennard, John A; Harrison, Fiona E

2015-02-01

Seizures are a known co-occurring symptom of Alzheimer's disease, and they can accelerate cognitive and neuropathological dysfunction. Sub-optimal vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency, that is low levels that do not lead the sufferer to present with clinical signs of scurvy (e.g. lethargy, hemorrhage, hyperkeratosis), are easily obtainable with insufficient dietary intake, and may contribute to the oxidative stress environment of both Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to test whether mice that have diminished brain ascorbic acid in addition to carrying human Alzheimer's disease mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PSEN1) genes, had altered electrical activity in the brain (electroencephalography; EEG), and were more susceptible to pharmacologically induced seizures. Brain ascorbic acid was decreased in APP/PSEN1 mice by crossing them with sodium vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2) heterozygous knockout mice. These mice have an approximately 30% decrease in brain ascorbic acid due to lower levels of SVCT2 that supplies the brain with ASC. SVCT2+/-APP/PSEN1 mice had decreased ascorbic acid and increased oxidative stress in brain, increased mortality, faster seizure onset latency following treatment with kainic acid (10 mg/kg i.p.), and more ictal events following pentylenetetrazol (50 mg/kg i.p.) treatment. Furthermore, we report the entirely novel phenomenon that ascorbic acid deficiency alone increased the severity of kainic acid- and pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures. These data suggest that avoiding ascorbic acid deficiency may be particularly important in populations at increased risk for epilepsy and seizures, such as Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystal Structure of the CLOCK Transactivation Domain Exon19 in Complex with a Repressor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Zhiqiang; Su, Lijing; Pei, Jimin; Grishin, Nick V.; Zhang, Hong (UTSMC)

2017-08-01

In the canonical clock model, CLOCK:BMAL1-mediated transcriptional activation is feedback regulated by its repressors CRY and PER and, in association with other coregulators, ultimately generates oscillatory gene expression patterns. How CLOCK:BMAL1 interacts with coregulator(s) is not well understood. Here we report the crystal structures of the mouse CLOCK transactivating domain Exon19 in complex with CIPC, a potent circadian repressor that functions independently of CRY and PER. The Exon19:CIPC complex adopts a three-helical coiled-coil bundle conformation containing two Exon19 helices and one CIPC. Unique to Exon19:CIPC, three highly conserved polar residues, Asn341 of CIPC and Gln544 of the two Exon19 helices, are located at the mid-section of the coiled-coil bundle interior and form hydrogen bonds with each other. Combining results from protein database search, sequence analysis, and mutagenesis studies, we discovered for the first time that CLOCK Exon19:CIPC interaction is a conserved transcription regulatory mechanism among mammals, fish, flies, and other invertebrates.

Modulating Calcium Signals to Boost AON Exon Skipping for DMD

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT AON-mediated exon skipping is currently advancing as therapy for DMD...9 9. Appendices…………………………………………………………… 9 1 1. INTRODUCTION AON-AON-mediated exon skipping is currently advancing as therapy for DMD...CDMD inter-group meetings, an annual retreat, and hosting and attending seminars. While not a stated objective of this grant, trainee career

26 CFR 1.669(b)-2 - Manner of exercising election.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manner of exercising election. 1.669(b)-2 Section 1.669(b)-2 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED... Years Beginning Before January 1, 1969 § 1.669(b)-2 Manner of exercising election. (a) By whom election...

Simultaneous high performance liquid chromatographic analysis of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 in royal jelly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Presoto Ana Elisa F

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Royal jelly is used as a food supplement, popularly known as rich in B vitamins. The present work has two objectives: firstly, to apply simultaneous quantitative determination by High Performance Liquid Chromatography of thiamin (vitamin B1, riboflavin (vitamin B2 and pyridoxine (vitamin B6 and secondly to compare the obtained data with the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI values. The values obtained showed no thiamin, a range from 20 to 171 ng g-1 of riboflavin and from 408 to 2 188 ng g-1 of pyridoxine in royal jelly. According to the Food and Nutrition Board (2000, the DRI of these vitamins varies from 0.2-1.4 mg for thiamin; 0.3-1.6 mg for riboflavin and 0.1-2.0 mg for pyridoxine, depending on age and sex. According to these recommendations, royal jelly is not a good source of vitamins B1, B2 or B6 as these vitamins appear only on order of ng g-1. The proposed method can be used in routine analysis for royal jelly, having the advantage of being simple, fast and reliable.

Deletion of exon 26 of the dystrophin gene is associated with a mild Becker muscular dystrophy phenotype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Witting, Nanna; Duno, Morten; Vissing, John

2011-01-01

With the possible introduction of exon skipping therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it has become increasingly important to know the role of each exon of the dystrophin gene to protein expression, and thus the phenotype. In this report, we present two related men with an unusually mild BMD...... skipping therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This report also shows that BMD may present with a normal CK....... associated with an exon 26 deletion. The proband, a 23-year-old man, had slightly delayed motor milestones, walking 1 1/2 years old. He had no complaints of muscle weakness, but had muscle pain. Clinical examination revealed no muscle wasting or loss of power, but his CK was 1500-7000 U/l. Muscle biopsy...

Abnormal splicing switch of DMD's penultimate exon compromises muscle fibre maintenance in myotonic dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rau, Frédérique; Lainé, Jeanne; Ramanoudjame, Laetitita; Ferry, Arnaud; Arandel, Ludovic; Delalande, Olivier; Jollet, Arnaud; Dingli, Florent; Lee, Kuang-Yung; Peccate, Cécile; Lorain, Stéphanie; Kabashi, Edor; Athanasopoulos, Takis; Koo, Taeyoung; Loew, Damarys; Swanson, Maurice S; Le Rumeur, Elisabeth; Dickson, George; Allamand, Valérie; Marie, Joëlle; Furling, Denis

2015-05-28

Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a dominant neuromuscular disease caused by nuclear-retained RNAs containing expanded CUG repeats. These toxic RNAs alter the activities of RNA splicing factors resulting in alternative splicing misregulation and muscular dysfunction. Here we show that the abnormal splicing of DMD exon 78 found in dystrophic muscles of DM1 patients is due to the functional loss of MBNL1 and leads to the re-expression of an embryonic dystrophin in place of the adult isoform. Forced expression of embryonic dystrophin in zebrafish using an exon-skipping approach severely impairs the mobility and muscle architecture. Moreover, reproducing Dmd exon 78 missplicing switch in mice induces muscle fibre remodelling and ultrastructural abnormalities including ringed fibres, sarcoplasmic masses or Z-band disorganization, which are characteristic features of dystrophic DM1 skeletal muscles. Thus, we propose that splicing misregulation of DMD exon 78 compromises muscle fibre maintenance and contributes to the progressive dystrophic process in DM1.

Antisense Oligonucleotide-mediated Exon Skipping as a Systemic Therapeutic Approach for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Bremer, Jeroen; Bornert, Olivier; Nyström, Alexander; Gostynski, Antoni; Jonkman, Marcel F; Aartsma-Rus, Annemieke; van den Akker, Peter C; Pasmooij, Anna Mg

2016-10-18

The "generalized severe" form of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB-gen sev) is caused by bi-allelic null mutations in COL7A1, encoding type VII collagen. The absence of type VII collagen leads to blistering of the skin and mucous membranes upon the slightest trauma. Because most patients carry exonic point mutations or small insertions/deletions, most exons of COL7A1 are in-frame, and low levels of type VII collagen already drastically improve the disease phenotype, this gene seems a perfect candidate for antisense oligonucleotide (AON)-mediated exon skipping. In this study, we examined the feasibility of AON-mediated exon skipping in vitro in primary cultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts, and systemically in vivo using a human skin-graft mouse model. We show that treatment with AONs designed against exon 105 leads to in-frame exon 105 skipping at the RNA level and restores type VII collagen protein production in vitro. Moreover, we demonstrate that systemic delivery in vivo induces de novo expression of type VII collagen in skin grafts generated from patient cells. Our data demonstrate strong proof-of-concept for AON-mediated exon skipping as a systemic therapeutic strategy for RDEB.

Ubiquitination and sumoylation of the HTLV-2 Tax-2B protein regulate its NF-κB activity: a comparative study with the HTLV-1 Tax-1 protein

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Retroviruses HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 have homologous genomic structures but differ significantly in pathogenicity. HTLV-1 is associated with Adult T cell Leukemia (ATL), whereas infection by HTLV-2 has no association with neoplasia. Transformation of T lymphocytes by HTLV-1 is linked to the capacity of its oncoprotein Tax-1 to alter cell survival and cell cycle control mechanisms. Among these functions, Tax-1-mediated activation of cellular gene expression via the NF-κB pathway depends on Tax-1 post-translational modifications by ubiquitination and sumoylation. The Tax-2 protein of HTLV-2B (Tax-2B) is also modified by ubiquitination and sumoylation and activates the NF-κB pathway to a level similar to that of Tax-1. The present study aims to understand whether ubiquitination and sumoylation modifications are involved in Tax-2B-mediated activation of the NF-κB pathway. Results The comparison of Tax-1 and Tax-2B lysine to arginine substitution mutants revealed conserved patterns and levels of ubiquitination with notable difference in the lysine usage for sumoylation. Neither Tax-1 nor Tax-2B ubiquitination and sumoylation deficient mutants could activate the NF-κB pathway and fusion of ubiquitin or SUMO-1 to the C-terminus of the ubiquitination and sumoylation deficient Tax-2B mutant strikingly restored transcriptional activity. In addition, ubiquitinated forms of Tax-2B colocalized with RelA and IKKγ in prominent cytoplasmic structures associated with the Golgi apparatus, whereas colocalization of Tax-2B with the RelA subunit of NF-κB and the transcriptional coactivator p300 in punctate nuclear structures was dependent on Tax-2B sumoylation, as previously observed for Tax-1. Conclusions Both Tax-1 and Tax-2 activate the NF-κB pathway via similar mechanisms involving ubiquitination and sumoylation. Therefore, the different transforming potential of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 is unlikely to be related to different modes of activation of the canonical NF-κB pathway

Epidermal Growth Factor Cytoplasmic Domain Affects ErbB Protein Degradation by the Lysosomal and Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway in Human Cancer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Glogowska

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The cytoplasmic domains of EGF-like ligands, including EGF cytoplasmic domain (EGFcyt, have important biological functions. Using specific constructs and peptides of human EGF cytoplasmic domain, we demonstrate that EGFcyt facilitates lysosomal and proteasomal protein degradation, and this coincided with growth inhibition of human thyroid and glioma carcinoma cells. EGFcyt and exon 22–23-encoded peptide (EGF22.23 enhanced procathepsin B (procathB expression and procathB-mediated lysosomal degradation of EGFR/ErbB1 as determined by inhibitors for procathB and the lysosomal ATPase inhibitor BafA1. Presence of mbEGFctF, EGFcyt, EGF22.23, and exon 23-encoded peptides suppressed the expression of the deubiqitinating enzyme ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1. This coincided with hyperubiquitination of total cellular proteins and ErbB1/2 and reduced proteasome activity. Upon small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of endogenously expressed UCH-L1, a similar hyperubiquitinylation phenotype, reduced ErbB1/2 content, and attenuated growth was observed. The exon 23-encoded peptide region of EGFcyt was important for these biologic actions. Structural homology modeling of human EGFcyt showed that this molecular region formed an exposed surface loop. Peptides derived from this EGFcyt loop structure may aid in the design of novel peptide therapeutics aimed at inhibiting growth of cancer cells.

Characterization of an Equine α-S2-Casein Variant Due to a 1.3 kb Deletion Spanning Two Coding Exons

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkmann, Julia; Koudelka, Tomas; Keppler, Julia K.; Tholey, Andreas; Schwarz, Karin; Thaller, Georg; Tetens, Jens

2015-01-01

The production and consumption of mare’s milk in Europe has gained importance, mainly based on positive health effects and a lower allergenic potential as compared to cows’ milk. The allergenicity of milk is to a certain extent affected by different genetic variants. In classical dairy species, much research has been conducted into the genetic variability of milk proteins, but the knowledge in horses is scarce. Here, we characterize two major forms of equine αS2-casein arising from genomic 1.3 kb in-frame deletion involving two coding exons, one of which represents an equid specific duplication. Findings at the DNA-level have been verified by cDNA sequencing from horse milk of mares with different genotypes. At the protein-level, we were able to show by SDS-page and in-gel digestion with subsequent LC-MS analysis that both proteins are actually expressed. The comparison with published sequences of other equids revealed that the deletion has probably occurred before the ancestor of present-day asses and zebras diverged from the horse lineage. PMID:26444874

An 8bp indel in exon 1 of Ghrelin gene associated with chicken growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Meixia; Nie, Qinghua; Luo, Chenglong; Zhang, Dexiang; Zhang, Xiquan

2007-04-01

Ghrelin, acts as the endogenous ligand for growth hormone secretagogues receptor (GHS-R), is a novel growth hormone (GH) releasing peptide with reported effects on food intake in chickens. In this study, an 8 bp indel polymorphism in exon 1 of the chicken Ghrelin (cGHRL) gene was genotyped in a F(2) designed full-sib population to analyze its associations with chicken growth and carcass traits. Later, mRNA level in the proventriculus was determined by real-time PCR to reveal the expression feature of cGHRL gene. Result showed that this 8 bp indel was significantly associated with body weight at the age of 28 days (BW28) and 56 days (BW56), eviscerated weight (EW) and leg muscle weight (LMW) (PGhrelin on chicken growth were indicated by this study.

Widespread evolutionary conservation of alternatively spliced exons in caenorhabditis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Irimia, Manuel; Rukov, Jakob L; Penny, David

2007-01-01

Alternative splicing (AS) contributes to increased transcriptome and proteome diversity in various eukaryotic lineages. Previous studies showed low levels of conservation of alternatively spliced (cassette) exons within mammals and within dipterans. We report a strikingly different pattern...... in Caenorhabditis nematodes-more than 92% of cassette exons from Caenorhabditis elegans are conserved in Caenorhabditis briggsae and/or Caenorhabditis remanei. High levels of conservation extend to minor-form exons (present in a minority of transcripts) and are particularly pronounced for exons showing complex...... patterns of splicing. The functionality of the vast majority of cassette exons is underscored by various other features. We suggest that differences in conservation between lineages reflect differences in levels of functionality and further suggest that these differences are due to differences in intron...

SNP discovery in candidate adaptive genes using exon capture in a free-ranging alpine ungulate

Science.gov (United States)

Roffler, Gretchen H.; Amish, Stephen J.; Smith, Seth; Cosart, Ted F.; Kardos, Marty; Schwartz, Michael K.; Luikart, Gordon

2016-01-01

Identification of genes underlying genomic signatures of natural selection is key to understanding adaptation to local conditions. We used targeted resequencing to identify SNP markers in 5321 candidate adaptive genes associated with known immunological, metabolic and growth functions in ovids and other ungulates. We selectively targeted 8161 exons in protein-coding and nearby 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of chosen candidate genes. Targeted sequences were taken from bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) exon capture data and directly from the domestic sheep genome (Ovis aries v. 3; oviAri3). The bighorn sheep sequences used in the Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) exon capture aligned to 2350 genes on the oviAri3 genome with an average of 2 exons each. We developed a microfluidic qPCR-based SNP chip to genotype 476 Dall's sheep from locations across their range and test for patterns of selection. Using multiple corroborating approaches (lositan and bayescan), we detected 28 SNP loci potentially under selection. We additionally identified candidate loci significantly associated with latitude, longitude, precipitation and temperature, suggesting local environmental adaptation. The three methods demonstrated consistent support for natural selection on nine genes with immune and disease-regulating functions (e.g. Ovar-DRA, APC, BATF2, MAGEB18), cell regulation signalling pathways (e.g. KRIT1, PI3K, ORRC3), and respiratory health (CYSLTR1). Characterizing adaptive allele distributions from novel genetic techniques will facilitate investigation of the influence of environmental variation on local adaptation of a northern alpine ungulate throughout its range. This research demonstrated the utility of exon capture for gene-targeted SNP discovery and subsequent SNP chip genotyping using low-quality samples in a nonmodel species.

Antisense Oligonucleotides Promote Exon Inclusion and Correct the Common c.-32-13T>G GAA Splicing Variant in Pompe Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik van der Wal

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The most common variant causing Pompe disease is c.-32-13T>G (IVS1 in the acid α-glucosidase (GAA gene, which weakens the splice acceptor of GAA exon 2 and induces partial and complete exon 2 skipping. It also allows a low level of leaky wild-type splicing, leading to a childhood/adult phenotype. We hypothesized that cis-acting splicing motifs may exist that could be blocked using antisense oligonucleotides (AONs to promote exon inclusion. To test this, a screen was performed in patient-derived primary fibroblasts using a tiling array of U7 small nuclear RNA (snRNA-based AONs. This resulted in the identification of a splicing regulatory element in GAA intron 1. We designed phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer-based AONs to this element, and these promoted exon 2 inclusion and enhanced GAA enzyme activity to levels above the disease threshold. These results indicate that the common IVS1 GAA splicing variant in Pompe disease is subject to negative regulation, and inhibition of a splicing regulatory element using AONs is able to restore canonical GAA splicing and endogenous GAA enzyme activity.

Efficient Detection of Copy Number Mutations in PMS2 Exons with a Close Homolog.

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Daniel S; Smith, Christina; Liu, Chang; Vaughn, Cecily P; Palaniappan, Selvi; Pritchard, Colin C; Shirts, Brian H

2018-07-01

Detection of 3' PMS2 copy-number mutations that cause Lynch syndrome is difficult because of highly homologous pseudogenes. To improve the accuracy and efficiency of clinical screening for these mutations, we developed a new method to analyze standard capture-based, next-generation sequencing data to identify deletions and duplications in PMS2 exons 9 to 15. The approach captures sequences using PMS2 targets, maps sequences randomly among regions with equal mapping quality, counts reads aligned to homologous exons and introns, and flags read count ratios outside of empirically derived reference ranges. The method was trained on 1352 samples, including 8 known positives, and tested on 719 samples, including 17 known positives. Clinical implementation of the first version of this method detected new mutations in the training (N = 7) and test (N = 2) sets that had not been identified by our initial clinical testing pipeline. The described final method showed complete sensitivity in both sample sets and false-positive rates of 5% (training) and 7% (test), dramatically decreasing the number of cases needing additional mutation evaluation. This approach leveraged the differences between gene and pseudogene to distinguish between PMS2 and PMS2CL copy-number mutations. These methods enable efficient and sensitive Lynch syndrome screening for 3' PMS2 copy-number mutations and may be applied similarly to other genomic regions with highly homologous pseudogenes. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Significance of Aurora B overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Aurora B Overexpression in HCC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Zhong-Zhe; Jeng, Yung-Ming; Hu, Fu-Chang; Pan, Hung-Wei; Tsao, Hsin-Wei; Lai, Po-Lin; Lee, Po-Huang; Cheng, Ann-Lii; Hsu, Hey-Chi

2010-01-01

To investigate the significance of Aurora B expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Aurora B and Aurora A mRNA level was measured in 160 HCCs and the paired nontumorous liver tissues by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Mutations of the p53 and β-catenin genes were analyzed in 134 and 150 tumors, respectively, by direct sequencing of exon 2 to exon 11 of p53 and exon 3 of β-catenin. Anticancer effects of AZD1152-HQPA, an Aurora B kinase selective inhibitor, were examined in Huh-7 and Hep3B cell lines. Aurora B was overexpressed in 98 (61%) of 160 HCCs and in all 7 HCC cell lines examined. The overexpression of Aurora B was associated with Aurora A overexpression (P = 0.0003) and p53 mutation (P = 0.002) and was inversely associated with β-catenin mutation (P = 0.002). Aurora B overexpression correlated with worse clinicopathologic characteristics. Multivariate analysis confirmed that Aurora B overexpression was an independent poor prognostic factor, despite its interaction with Aurora A overexpression and mutations of p53 and β-catenin. In Huh-7 and Hep3B cells, AZD1152-HQPA induced proliferation blockade, histone H3 (Ser10) dephosphorylation, cell cycle disturbance, and apoptosis. Aurora B overexpression is an independent molecular marker predicting tumor invasiveness and poor prognosis of HCC. Aurora B kinase selective inhibitors are potential therapeutic agents for HCC treatment

EOS MLS Level 1B Data Processing, Version 2.2

Science.gov (United States)

Perun, Vincent; Jarnot, Robert; Pickett, Herbert; Cofield, Richard; Schwartz, Michael; Wagner, Paul

2009-01-01

A computer program performs level- 1B processing (the term 1B is explained below) of data from observations of the limb of the Earth by the Earth Observing System (EOS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), which is an instrument aboard the Aura spacecraft. This software accepts, as input, the raw EOS MLS scientific and engineering data and the Aura spacecraft ephemeris and attitude data. Its output consists of calibrated instrument radiances and associated engineering and diagnostic data. [This software is one of several computer programs, denoted product generation executives (PGEs), for processing EOS MLS data. Starting from level 0 (representing the aforementioned raw data, the PGEs and their data products are denoted by alphanumeric labels (e.g., 1B and 2) that signify the successive stages of processing.] At the time of this reporting, this software is at version 2.2 and incorporates improvements over a prior version that make the code more robust, improve calibration, provide more diagnostic outputs, improve the interface with the Level 2 PGE, and effect a 15-percent reduction in file sizes by use of data compression.

EXONSAMPLER: a computer program for genome-wide and candidate gene exon sampling for targeted next-generation sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosart, Ted; Beja-Pereira, Albano; Luikart, Gordon

2014-11-01

The computer program EXONSAMPLER automates the sampling of thousands of exon sequences from publicly available reference genome sequences and gene annotation databases. It was designed to provide exon sequences for the efficient, next-generation gene sequencing method called exon capture. The exon sequences can be sampled by a list of gene name abbreviations (e.g. IFNG, TLR1), or by sampling exons from genes spaced evenly across chromosomes. It provides a list of genomic coordinates (a bed file), as well as a set of sequences in fasta format. User-adjustable parameters for collecting exon sequences include a minimum and maximum acceptable exon length, maximum number of exonic base pairs (bp) to sample per gene, and maximum total bp for the entire collection. It allows for partial sampling of very large exons. It can preferentially sample upstream (5 prime) exons, downstream (3 prime) exons, both external exons, or all internal exons. It is written in the Python programming language using its free libraries. We describe the use of EXONSAMPLER to collect exon sequences from the domestic cow (Bos taurus) genome for the design of an exon-capture microarray to sequence exons from related species, including the zebu cow and wild bison. We collected ~10% of the exome (~3 million bp), including 155 candidate genes, and ~16,000 exons evenly spaced genomewide. We prioritized the collection of 5 prime exons to facilitate discovery and genotyping of SNPs near upstream gene regulatory DNA sequences, which control gene expression and are often under natural selection. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Data of evolutionary structure change: 2QU0A-2DN1B [Confc[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available >A 2QU0A WGKVGGNAGAYGence> HHHH...2QU0A-2DN1B 2QU0 2DN1 A B VLSAADKSNVKAAWGKVGGNAGAYGAEALERMFLSFPTT...index>0 2DN1 B 2DN1B ...ence>WGKVN--VDEVGence> GGG --HHHHH VAL CA 367 GLY CA 400 2QU0

Comprehensive detection of diverse exon 19 deletion mutations of EGFR in lung Cancer by a single probe set.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jin Ho; Jo, Seong-Min; Kim, Hak-Sung

2015-12-15

Detection of exon 19 deletion mutation of EGFR, one of the most frequently occurring mutations in lung cancer, provides the crucial information for diagnosis and treatment guideline in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we demonstrate a simple and efficient method to detect various exon 19 deletion mutations of EGFR using a single probe set comprising of an oligo-quencher (oligo-Q) and a molecular beacon (MB). While the MB hybridizes to both the wild and mutant target DNA, the oligo-Q only binds to the wild target DNA, leading to a fluorescent signal in case of deletion mutation. This enables the comprehensive detection of the diverse exon 19 deletion mutations using a single probe set. We demonstrated the utility and efficiency of the approach by detecting the frequent exon 19 deletion mutations of EGFR through a real-time PCR and in situ fluorescence imaging. Our approach enabled the detection of genomic DNA as low as 0.02 ng, showing a detection limit of 2% in a heterogeneous DNA mixture, and could be used for detecting mutations in a single cell level. The present MB and oligo-Q dual probe system can be used for diagnosis and treatment guideline in NSCLC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity in peptide recognition by the SH2 domain of SH2B1.

Science.gov (United States)

McKercher, Marissa A; Guan, Xiaoyang; Tan, Zhongping; Wuttke, Deborah S

2018-02-01

SH2B1 is a multidomain protein that serves as a key adaptor to regulate numerous cellular events, such as insulin, leptin, and growth hormone signaling pathways. Many of these protein-protein interactions are mediated by the SH2 domain of SH2B1, which recognizes ligands containing a phosphorylated tyrosine (pY), including peptides derived from janus kinase 2, insulin receptor, and insulin receptor substrate-1 and -2. Specificity for the SH2 domain of SH2B1 is conferred in these ligands either by a hydrophobic or an acidic side chain at the +3 position C-terminal to the pY. This specificity for chemically disparate species suggests that SH2B1 relies on distinct thermodynamic or structural mechanisms to bind to peptides. Using binding and structural strategies, we have identified unique thermodynamic signatures for each peptide binding mode, and several SH2B1 residues, including K575 and R578, that play distinct roles in peptide binding. The high-resolution structure of the SH2 domain of SH2B1 further reveals conformationally plastic protein loops that may contribute to the ability of the protein to recognize dissimilar ligands. Together, numerous hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, in addition to backbone conformational flexibility, permit the recognition of diverse peptides by SH2B1. An understanding of this expanded peptide recognition will allow for the identification of novel physiologically relevant SH2B1/peptide interactions, which can contribute to the design of obesity and diabetes pharmaceuticals to target the ligand-binding interface of SH2B1 with high specificity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exon - ASTRA | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data ...ontents Exons in variants Data file File name: astra_exon.zip File URL: ftp://ftp.biosciencedbc.jp/archive/a... About This Database Database Description Download License Update History of This Database Site Policy | Contact Us Exon - ASTRA | LSDB Archive ...

Brief report: Afatinib and cetuximab in four patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

van Veggel, Bianca; de Langen, Adrianus J; Hashemi, Sayed; Monkhorst, Kim; Heideman, Daniëlle A M; Thunnissen, Erik; Smit, Egbert F

2018-04-24

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertions comprise 4-9% of EGFR mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite being an oncogenic driver, they are associated with primary resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We hypothesized that dual EGFR blockade with afatinib, an irreversible EGFR TKI, and cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against EGFR, could induce tumor responses. Four patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion positive NSCLC were treated with afatinib 40 mg once daily and cetuximab 250-500 mg/m 2 every two weeks. All patients had stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung harboring an EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation. Previous lines of treatment consisted of platinum doublet chemotherapy (n=4) and EGFR TKI (n=2). Three out of four patients showed a partial response according to RECIST 1.1. Median progression-free survival was 5.4 months (95% confidence interval 0.0 - 14.2 months; range 2.7 - 17.6 months). Toxicity was manageable with appropriate skin management and dose reduction being required in two patients. Dual EGFR blockade with afatinib and cetuximab may induce tumor responses in patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion positive NSCLC. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Comparative analysis of B7-1 and B7-2 expression in Langerhans cells: differential regulation by T helper type 1 and T helper type 2 cytokines.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamura, T; Furue, M

1995-07-01

Epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) are Ia-bearing potent antigen-presenting cells (APC) of dendritic cell lineage that play a crucial role in primary and secondary T cell-dependent immune responses. LC express several costimulatory molecules such as B7, which has been implicated as one of the important determinants of professional APC. Recently, B7 antigens have been shown to include three distinct molecules termed B7-1, B7-2, and B7-3, and the expression of B7-1 and B7-2 in LC has been already confirmed. However, little is known of the regulation of B7-1 and B7-2 expression in LC. We demonstrated that LC do not express B7-1 and B7-2 in situ; however, the expression of both molecules is rapidly induced during the first 3 days of culture, and high levels of expression are maintained at least until day 6. We show that the expression of B7-2 in LC is much higher than that of B7-1 in each experiment, and that B7-1 and B7-2 expression is reproducibly augmented by interleukin (IL)-4 in a dose-dependent manner; however, IL-2 affected expression very little. Finally, B7-1 expression is significantly and dose-dependently down-regulated by interferon (IFN)-gamma or IL-10, and B7-2 expression is consistently inhibited by IL-10, but not by IFN-gamma. The effects of these cytokines are active only in the induction phase (during first 3 days of culture) of B7 expression: the modulatory effects of cytokines are hardly detected in the plateau phase (days 4 to 6 of culture) of B7 expression in LC. These findings suggest that B7-1 and B7-2 expression are indeed selectively and differentially regulated by these T cell-derived cytokines, and that the cytokines may modulate the synthesis of B7 molecules rather than the degradation of already-expressed B7 molecules.

To Screen Inactivation Mutation of Exon 1 of FSHR Gene in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A South Indian Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sekar, Nishu; Yeole, Samiksha; Pradeep, Rashmi; Prabhu, Yogamaya D.; Renu, Kaviyarasi; Ramgir, Shalaka S.; Abilash, V. G.

2017-11-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine disorder. Irregular menstrual cycle, acne, facial hair and elevated androgen levels are the most common signs for PCOS. PCOS has an estimated prevalence of 4-12% among reproductive age women, thus making it a forerunner in female infertility. FSHR plays an important role in FSH signaling pathway making it an important gene for PCOS. In this study, we aim to focus on any association between the FSHR gene and PCOS. Our study was to evaluate any polymorphism of exon 1 of FSHR gene associated with PCOS.PCR-RFLP technique was performed on the PCOS samples. Hormonal changes were found in the patients. Exon 1 inactivation mutation of FSHR gene was not observed in the patient sample. A study of this association needs to be done using large sample size.

Selection Signatures in the First Exon of Paralogous Receptor Kinase Genes from the Sym2 Region of the Pisum sativum L. Genome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton S. Sulima

2017-11-01

Full Text Available During the initial step of the symbiosis between legumes (Fabaceae and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia, the bacterial signal molecule known as the Nod factor (nodulation factor is recognized by plant LysM motif-containing receptor-like kinases (LysM-RLKs. The fifth chromosome of barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn. contains a cluster of paralogous LysM-RLK genes, one of which is known to participate in symbiosis. In the syntenic region of the pea (Pisum sativum L. genome, three genes have been identified: PsK1 and PsSym37, two symbiosis-related LysM-RLK genes with known sequences, and the unsequenced PsSym2 gene which presumably encodes a LysM-RLK and is associated with increased selectivity to certain Nod factors. In this work, we identified a new gene encoding a LysM-RLK, designated as PsLykX, within the Sym2 genomic region. We sequenced the first exons (corresponding to the protein receptor domain of PsSym37, PsK1, and PsLykX from a large set of pea genotypes of diverse origin. The nucleotide diversity of these fragments was estimated and groups of haplotypes for each gene were revealed. Footprints of selection pressure were detected via comparative analyses of SNP distribution across the first exons of these genes and their homologs MtLYK2, MtLYK3, and MtLYK4 from M. truncatula retrieved from the Medicago Hapmap project. Despite the remarkable similarity among all the studied genes, they exhibited contrasting selection signatures, possibly pointing to diversification of their functions. Signatures of balancing selection were found in LysM1-encoding parts of PsSym37 and PsK1, suggesting that the diversity of these parts may be important for pea LysM-RLKs. The first exons of PsSym37 and PsK1 displayed signatures of purifying selection, as well as MtLYK2 of M. truncatula. Evidence of positive selection affecting primarily LysM domains was found in all three investigated M. truncatula genes, as well as in the pea gene PsLykX. The data

Efficient use of a translation start codon in BDNF exon I.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppel, Indrek; Tuvikene, Jürgen; Lekk, Ingrid; Timmusk, Tõnis

2015-09-01

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene contains a number of 5' exons alternatively spliced with a common 3' exon. BDNF protein is synthesized from alternative transcripts as a prepro-precursor encoded by the common 3' exon IX, which has a translation start site 21 bp downstream of the splicing site. BDNF mRNAs containing exon I are an exception to this arrangement as the last three nucleotides of this exon constitute an in-frame AUG. Here, we show that this AUG is efficiently used for translation initiation in PC12 cells and cultured cortical neurons. Use of exon I-specific AUG produces higher levels of BDNF protein than use of the common translation start site, resulting from a higher translation rate. No differences in protein degradation, constitutive or regulated secretion were detected between BDNF isoforms with alternative 5' termini. As the BDNF promoter preceding exon I is known to be highly regulated by neuronal activity, our results suggest that the function of this translation start site may be efficient stimulus-dependent synthesis of BDNF protein. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene contains multiple untranslated 5' exons alternatively spliced to one common protein-coding 3' exon. However, exon I contains an in-frame ATG in a favorable translation context. Here, we show that use of this ATG is associated with more efficient protein synthesis than the commonly used ATG in exon IX. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Long-term Exon Skipping Studies With 2′-O-Methyl Phosphorothioate Antisense Oligonucleotides in Dystrophic Mouse Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christa L Tanganyika-de Winter

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Antisense-mediated exon skipping for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD is currently tested in phase 3 clinical trials. The aim of this approach is to modulate splicing by skipping a specific exon to reframe disrupted dystrophin transcripts, allowing the synthesis of a partly functional dystrophin protein. Studies in animal models allow detailed analysis of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of antisense oligonucleotides (AONs. Here, we tested the safety and efficacy of subcutaneously administered 2′-O-methyl phosphorothioate AON at 200 mg/kg/week for up to 6 months in mouse models with varying levels of disease severity: mdx mice (mild phenotype and mdx mice with one utrophin allele (mdx/utrn+/−; more severe phenotype. Long-term treatment was well tolerated and exon skipping and dystrophin restoration confirmed for all animals. Notably, in the more severely affected mdx/utrn+/− mice the therapeutic effect was larger: creatine kinase (CK levels were more decreased and rotarod running time was more increased. This suggests that the mdx/utrn+/− model may be a more suitable model to test potential therapies than the regular mdx mouse. Our results also indicate that long-term subcutaneous treatment in dystrophic mouse models with these AONs is safe and beneficial.

Infectious genotype 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 5a, 6a and 7a hepatitis C virus lacking the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

.sub.1389c,A1590G (6a/2a) constructs for the deletion of Hypervariable Region 1 (HVR1) to construct viable, JFH 1 (genotype 2a) based, genomes. The present inventors serially passaged the viruses in cell culture obtaining relatively high HCV RNA titers and infectivity titers. Sequence analysis...... of the viruses identified mutations adapting H77/JFH 1.sub.T27OOC,A4O8OT,.DELTA.HVR1 (1a/2a), J8/JFH .sub.1.DELTA.HVR1 (2b/2a), S52/JFH 1.sub.T2718G,T716OC,.DELTA.HVR1 (3a/2a) and J4/JFH 1.sub.T2996C,A4827T,.DELTA.HVR1 (1b/2a) to the HVR1 deletion....

A 20 bp Duplication in Exon 2 of the Aristaless-Like Homeobox 4 Gene (ALX4 Is the Candidate Causative Mutation for Tibial Hemimelia Syndrome in Galloway Cattle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bertram Brenig

Full Text Available Aristaless-like homeobox 4 (ALX4 gene is an important transcription regulator in skull and limb development. In humans and mice ALX4 mutations or loss of function result in a number of skeletal and organ malformations, including polydactyly, tibial hemimelia, omphalocele, biparietal foramina, impaired mammary epithelial morphogenesis, alopecia, coronal craniosynostosis, hypertelorism, depressed nasal bridge and ridge, bifid nasal tip, hypogonadism, and body agenesis. Here we show that a complex skeletal malformation of the hind limb in Galloway cattle together with other developmental anomalies is a recessive autosomal disorder most likely caused by a duplication of 20 bp in exon 2 of the bovine ALX4 gene. A second duplication of 34 bp in exon 4 of the same gene has no known effect, although both duplications result in a frameshift and premature stop codon leading to a truncated protein. Genotyping of 1,688 Black/Red/Belted/Riggit Galloway (GA and 289 White Galloway (WGA cattle showed that the duplication in exon 2 has allele frequencies of 1% in GA and 6% in WGA and the duplication in exon 4 has frequencies of 23% in GA and 38% in WGA. Both duplications were not detected in 876 randomly selected German Holstein Friesian and 86 cattle of 21 other breeds. Hence, we have identified a candidate causative mutation for tibial hemimelia syndrome in Galloway cattle and selection against this mutation can be used to eliminate the mutant allele from the breed.

The human cytochrome P450 3A locus. Gene evolution by capture of downstream exons.

Science.gov (United States)

Finta, C; Zaphiropoulos, P G

2000-12-30

Using a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone, we have mapped the human cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) locus containing the genes encoding for CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and CYP3A7. The genes lie in a head-to-tail orientation in the order of 3A4, 3A7 and 3A5. In both intergenic regions (3A4-3A7 and 3A7-3A5), we have detected several additional cytochrome P450 3A exons, forming two CYP3A pseudogenes. These pseudogenes have the same orientation as the CYP3A genes. To our surprise, a 3A7 mRNA species has been detected in which the exons 2 and 13 of one of the pseudogenes (the one that is downstream of 3A7) are spliced after the 3A7 terminal exon. This results in an mRNA molecule that consists of the 13 3A7 exons and two additional exons at the 3' end. The additional two exons originating from the pseudogene are in an altered reading frame and consequently have the capability to code a completely different amino acid sequence than the canonical CYP3A exons 2 and 13. These findings may represent a generalized evolutionary process with genes having the potential to capture neighboring sequences and use them as functional exons.

Large Genomic Deletions in CACNA1A Cause Episodic Ataxia Type 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jijun eWan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Episodic ataxia (EA syndromes are heritable diseases characterized by dramatic episodes of imbalance and incoordination. Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2, the most common and the best characterized subtype, is caused by mostly nonsense, splice site, small indel and sometimes missense mutations in CACNA1A. Direct sequencing of CACNA1A fails to identify mutations in some patients with EA2-like features, possibly due to incomplete interrogation of CACNA1A or defects in other EA genes not yet defined. Previous reports described genomic deletions between 4-40kb in EA2. In 47 subjects with EA (26 with EA2-like features who tested negative for mutations in the known EA genes, we used Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA to analyze CACNA1A for exonic copy number variations. Breakpoints were further defined by long-range PCR. We identified distinct multi-exonic deletions in three probands with classic EA2-like features: episodes of prolonged vertigo and ataxia triggered by stress and fatigue, interictal nystagmus, with onset during infancy or early childhood. The breakpoints in all three probands are located in Alu sequences, indicating errors in homologous recombination of Alu sequences as the underlying mechanism. The smallest deletion spanned exons 39 and 40, while the largest deletion spanned 200kb, missing all but the first three exons. One deletion involving exons 39 through 47 arose spontaneously. The search for mutations in CACNA1A appears most fruitful in EA patients with interictal nystagmus and onset early in life. The finding of large heterozygous deletions suggests haploinsufficiency as a possible pathomechanism of EA2.

Adenovirus type 5 E1A and E6 proteins of low-risk cutaneous beta-human papillomaviruses suppress cell transformation through interaction with FOXK1/K2 transcription factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Komorek, Jessica; Kuppuswamy, Mohan; Subramanian, T; Vijayalingam, S; Lomonosova, Elena; Zhao, Ling-Jun; Mymryk, Joe S; Schmitt, Kimberly; Chinnadurai, G

2010-03-01

The adenovirus (Adv) oncoprotein E1A stimulates cell proliferation and inhibits differentiation. These activities are primarily linked to the N-terminal region (exon 1) of E1A, which interacts with multiple cellular protein complexes. The C terminus (exon 2) of E1A antagonizes these processes, mediated in part through interaction with C-terminal binding proteins 1 and 2 (CtBP1/2). To identify additional cellular E1A targets that are involved in the modulation of E1A C-terminus-mediated activities, we undertook tandem affinity purification of E1A-associated proteins. Through mass spectrometric analysis, we identified several known E1A-interacting proteins as well as novel E1A targets, such as the forkhead transcription factors, FOXK1/K2. We identified a Ser/Thr-containing sequence motif in E1A that mediated interaction with FOXK1/K2. We demonstrated that the E6 proteins of two beta-human papillomaviruses (HPV14 and HPV21) associated with epidermodysplasia verruciformis also interacted with FOXK1/K2 through a motif similar to that of E1A. The E1A mutants deficient in interaction with FOXK1/K2 induced enhanced cell proliferation and oncogenic transformation. The hypertransforming activity of the mutant E1A was suppressed by HPV21 E6. An E1A-E6 chimeric protein containing the Ser/Thr domain of the E6 protein in E1A interacted efficiently with FOXK1/K2 and inhibited cell transformation. Our results suggest that targeting FOXK1/K2 may be a common mechanism for certain beta-HPVs and Adv5. E1A exon 2 mutants deficient in interaction with the dual-specificity kinases DYRK1A/1B and their cofactor HAN11 also induced increased cell proliferation and transformation. Our results suggest that the E1A C-terminal region may suppress cell proliferation and oncogenic transformation through interaction with three different cellular protein complexes: FOXK1/K2, DYRK(1A/1B)/HAN11, and CtBP1/2.

Exon resequencing of H3K9 methyltransferase complex genes, EHMT1, EHTM2 and WIZ, in Japanese autism subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Balan, Shabeesh; Iwayama, Yoshimi; Maekawa, Motoko; Toyota, Tomoko; Ohnishi, Tetsuo; Toyoshima, Manabu; Shimamoto, Chie; Esaki, Kayoko; Yamada, Kazuo; Iwata, Yasuhide; Suzuki, Katsuaki; Ide, Masayuki; Ota, Motonori; Fukuchi, Satoshi; Tsujii, Masatsugu; Mori, Norio; Shinkai, Yoichi; Yoshikawa, Takeo

2014-01-01

Histone H3 methylation at lysine 9 (H3K9) is a conserved epigenetic signal, mediating heterochromatin formation by trimethylation, and transcriptional silencing by dimethylation. Defective GLP (Ehmt1) and G9a (Ehmt2) histone lysine methyltransferases, involved in mono and dimethylation of H3K9, confer autistic phenotypes and behavioral abnormalities in animal models. Moreover, EHMT1 loss of function results in Kleefstra syndrome, characterized by severe intellectual disability, developmental delays and psychiatric disorders. We examined the possible role of histone methyltransferases in the etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and suggest that rare functional variants in these genes that regulate H3K9 methylation may be associated with ASD. Since G9a-GLP-Wiz forms a heteromeric methyltransferase complex, all the protein-coding regions and exon/intron boundaries of EHMT1, EHMT2 and WIZ were sequenced in Japanese ASD subjects. The detected variants were prioritized based on novelty and functionality. The expression levels of these genes were tested in blood cells and postmortem brain samples from ASD and control subjects. Expression of EHMT1 and EHMT2 isoforms were determined by digital PCR. We identified six nonsynonymous variants: three in EHMT1, two in EHMT2 and one in WIZ. Two variants, the EHMT1 ankyrin repeat domain (Lys968Arg) and EHMT2 SET domain (Thr961Ile) variants were present exclusively in cases, but showed no statistically significant association with ASD. The EHMT2 transcript expression was significantly elevated in the peripheral blood cells of ASD when compared with control samples; but not for EHMT1 and WIZ. Gene expression levels of EHMT1, EHMT2 and WIZ in Brodmann area (BA) 9, BA21, BA40 and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DoRN) regions from postmortem brain samples showed no significant changes between ASD and control subjects. Nor did expression levels of EHMT1 and EHMT2 isoforms in the prefrontal cortex differ significantly between ASD and

Nkx2-5 Mutations in Patients With Nonsyndromic Congenital Heart Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fariborz Soheili

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background Congenital heart diseases (CHD are the most common of all birth defects, affecting nearly 0.9% of all live births. Nkx2-5 mutations were reported to cause CHD but data in Kurdish populations of Iran are limited. Objectives In this experimental study, we performed high resolution melt (HRM mutation scanning of Nkx2-5 exons of non-syndrome patients. Patients and Methods Thirty nine patients with atrial septal defect and 57 patients with ventricular septal defect, 4 patients possessing both defects as case groups and 50 healthy controls. Then we grouped samples according to HRM graph and sequenced several samples from each group. Results HRM analysis showed 2 deviated curves for exon 1 and one group for exon 2A and exon 2B. Then, 2 samples of exon 1 that showed different HRM curves, 3 samples of another group from this exon and 5 samples of exon 2A, 2B and healthy controls were randomly sequenced. The results of sequencing confirmed the HRM analysis, and one polymorphism (A65G was identified in 2 atrial septal defects with deviated curves. Conclusions The environmental and effective factors on the heart development within embryonic evolution as well as the possibility of the existence of the mutation in coding genes of the other cardiac transcription factors such as GATA4 and TBX5 can be the reasons for the lack of the pathogenic mutation in this study. It is suggested in further related studies to investigate normal and abnormal cardiac tissue samples of these studied patients and coding genes of the other cardiac transcription factors.

Targeted exon sequencing in Usher syndrome type I.

Science.gov (United States)

Bujakowska, Kinga M; Consugar, Mark; Place, Emily; Harper, Shyana; Lena, Jaclyn; Taub, Daniel G; White, Joseph; Navarro-Gomez, Daniel; Weigel DiFranco, Carol; Farkas, Michael H; Gai, Xiaowu; Berson, Eliot L; Pierce, Eric A

2014-12-02

Patients with Usher syndrome type I (USH1) have retinitis pigmentosa, profound congenital hearing loss, and vestibular ataxia. This syndrome is currently thought to be associated with at least six genes, which are encoded by over 180 exons. Here, we present the use of state-of-the-art techniques in the molecular diagnosis of a cohort of 47 USH1 probands. The cohort was studied with selective exon capture and next-generation sequencing of currently known inherited retinal degeneration genes, comparative genomic hybridization, and Sanger sequencing of new USH1 exons identified by human retinal transcriptome analysis. With this approach, we were able to genetically solve 14 of the 47 probands by confirming the biallelic inheritance of mutations. We detected two likely pathogenic variants in an additional 19 patients, for whom family members were not available for cosegregation analysis to confirm biallelic inheritance. Ten patients, in addition to primary disease-causing mutations, carried rare likely pathogenic USH1 alleles or variants in other genes associated with deaf-blindness, which may influence disease phenotype. Twenty-one of the identified mutations were novel among the 33 definite or likely solved patients. Here, we also present a clinical description of the studied cohort at their initial visits. We found a remarkable genetic heterogeneity in the studied USH1 cohort with multiplicity of mutations, of which many were novel. No obvious influence of genotype on phenotype was found, possibly due to small sample sizes of the genotypes under study. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Exonic Splicing Mutations Are More Prevalent than Currently Estimated and Can Be Predicted by Using In Silico Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Soukarieh, Omar; Gaildrat, Pascaline; Hamieh, Mohamad; Drouet, Aurélie; Baert-Desurmont, Stéphanie; Frébourg, Thierry; Tosi, Mario; Martins, Alexandra

2016-01-01

The identification of a causal mutation is essential for molecular diagnosis and clinical management of many genetic disorders. However, even if next-generation exome sequencing has greatly improved the detection of nucleotide changes, the biological interpretation of most exonic variants remains challenging. Moreover, particular attention is typically given to protein-coding changes often neglecting the potential impact of exonic variants on RNA splicing. Here, we used the exon 10 of MLH1, a gene implicated in hereditary cancer, as a model system to assess the prevalence of RNA splicing mutations among all single-nucleotide variants identified in a given exon. We performed comprehensive minigene assays and analyzed patient’s RNA when available. Our study revealed a staggering number of splicing mutations in MLH1 exon 10 (77% of the 22 analyzed variants), including mutations directly affecting splice sites and, particularly, mutations altering potential splicing regulatory elements (ESRs). We then used this thoroughly characterized dataset, together with experimental data derived from previous studies on BRCA1, BRCA2, CFTR and NF1, to evaluate the predictive power of 3 in silico approaches recently described as promising tools for pinpointing ESR-mutations. Our results indicate that ΔtESRseq and ΔHZEI-based approaches not only discriminate which variants affect splicing, but also predict the direction and severity of the induced splicing defects. In contrast, the ΔΨ-based approach did not show a compelling predictive power. Our data indicates that exonic splicing mutations are more prevalent than currently appreciated and that they can now be predicted by using bioinformatics methods. These findings have implications for all genetically-caused diseases. PMID:26761715

Exonic Splicing Mutations Are More Prevalent than Currently Estimated and Can Be Predicted by Using In Silico Tools.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Soukarieh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The identification of a causal mutation is essential for molecular diagnosis and clinical management of many genetic disorders. However, even if next-generation exome sequencing has greatly improved the detection of nucleotide changes, the biological interpretation of most exonic variants remains challenging. Moreover, particular attention is typically given to protein-coding changes often neglecting the potential impact of exonic variants on RNA splicing. Here, we used the exon 10 of MLH1, a gene implicated in hereditary cancer, as a model system to assess the prevalence of RNA splicing mutations among all single-nucleotide variants identified in a given exon. We performed comprehensive minigene assays and analyzed patient's RNA when available. Our study revealed a staggering number of splicing mutations in MLH1 exon 10 (77% of the 22 analyzed variants, including mutations directly affecting splice sites and, particularly, mutations altering potential splicing regulatory elements (ESRs. We then used this thoroughly characterized dataset, together with experimental data derived from previous studies on BRCA1, BRCA2, CFTR and NF1, to evaluate the predictive power of 3 in silico approaches recently described as promising tools for pinpointing ESR-mutations. Our results indicate that ΔtESRseq and ΔHZEI-based approaches not only discriminate which variants affect splicing, but also predict the direction and severity of the induced splicing defects. In contrast, the ΔΨ-based approach did not show a compelling predictive power. Our data indicates that exonic splicing mutations are more prevalent than currently appreciated and that they can now be predicted by using bioinformatics methods. These findings have implications for all genetically-caused diseases.

Modulation of mdm2 pre-mRNA splicing by 9-aminoacridine-PNA (peptide nucleic acid conjugates targeting intron-exon junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nielsen Peter E

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Modulation of pre-mRNA splicing by antisense molecules is a promising mechanism of action for gene therapeutic drugs. In this study, we have examined the potential of peptide nucleic acid (PNA 9-aminoacridine conjugates to modulate the pre-mRNA splicing of the mdm2 human cancer gene in JAR cells. Methods We screened 10 different 15 mer PNAs targeting intron2 at both the 5' - and the 3'-splice site for their effects on the splicing of mdm2 using RT-PCR analysis. We also tested a PNA (2512 targeting the 3'-splice site of intron3 with a complementarity of 4 bases to intron3 and 11 bases to exon4 for its splicing modulation effect. This PNA2512 was further tested for the effects on the mdm2 protein level as well as for inhibition of cell growth in combination with the DNA damaging agent camptothecin (CPT. Results We show that several of these PNAs effectively inhibit the splicing thereby producing a larger mRNA still containing intron2, while skipping of exon3 was not observed by any of these PNAs. The most effective PNA (PNA2406 targeting the 3'-splice site of intron2 had a complementarity of 4 bases to intron2 and 11 bases to exon3. PNA (2512 targeting the 3'-splice site of intron3 induced both splicing inhibition (intron3 skipping and skipping of exon4. Furthermore, treatment of JAR cells with this PNA resulted in a reduction in the level of MDM2 protein and a concomitant increase in the level of tumor suppressor p53. In addition, a combination of this PNA with CPT inhibited cell growth more than CPT alone. Conclusion We have identified several PNAs targeting the 5'- or 3'-splice sites in intron2 or the 3'-splice site of intron3 of mdm2 pre-mRNA which can inhibit splicing. Antisense targeting of splice junctions of mdm2 pre-mRNA may be a powerful method to evaluate the cellular function of MDM2 splice variants as well as a promising approach for discovery of mdm2 targeted anticancer drugs.

A Novel Mutation in the CYP11B1 Gene Causes Steroid 11β-Hydroxylase Deficient Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia with Reversible Cardiomyopathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad A. Alqahtani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH due to steroid 11β-hydroxylase deficiency is the second most common form of CAH, resulting from a mutation in the CYP11B1 gene. Steroid 11β-hydroxylase deficiency results in excessive mineralcorticoids and androgen production leading to hypertension, precocious puberty with acne, enlarged penis, and hyperpigmentation of scrotum of genetically male infants. In the present study, we reported 3 male cases from a Saudi family who presented with penile enlargement, progressive darkness of skin, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy. The elder patient died due to heart failure and his younger brothers were treated with hydrocortisone and antihypertensive medications. Six months following treatment, cardiomyopathy disappeared with normal blood pressure and improvement in the skin pigmentation. The underlying molecular defect was investigated by PCR-sequencing analysis of all coding exons and intron-exon boundary of the CYP11B1 gene. A novel biallelic mutation c.780 G>A in exon 4 of the CYP11B1 gene was found in the patients. The mutation created a premature stop codon at amino acid 260 (p.W260∗, resulting in a truncated protein devoid of 11β-hydroxylase activity. Interestingly, a somatic mutation at the same codon (c.779 G>A, p.W260∗ was reported in a patient with papillary thyroid cancer (COSMIC database. In conclusion, we have identified a novel nonsense mutation in the CYP11B1 gene that causes classic steroid 11β-hydroxylase deficient CAH. Cardiomyopathy and cardiac failure can be reversed by early diagnosis and treatment.

Alternative splicing and differential gene expression in colon cancer detected by a whole genome exon array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugnet Charles

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alternative splicing is a mechanism for increasing protein diversity by excluding or including exons during post-transcriptional processing. Alternatively spliced proteins are particularly relevant in oncology since they may contribute to the etiology of cancer, provide selective drug targets, or serve as a marker set for cancer diagnosis. While conventional identification of splice variants generally targets individual genes, we present here a new exon-centric array (GeneChip Human Exon 1.0 ST that allows genome-wide identification of differential splice variation, and concurrently provides a flexible and inclusive analysis of gene expression. Results We analyzed 20 paired tumor-normal colon cancer samples using a microarray designed to detect over one million putative exons that can be virtually assembled into potential gene-level transcripts according to various levels of prior supporting evidence. Analysis of high confidence (empirically supported transcripts identified 160 differentially expressed genes, with 42 genes occupying a network impacting cell proliferation and another twenty nine genes with unknown functions. A more speculative analysis, including transcripts based solely on computational prediction, produced another 160 differentially expressed genes, three-fourths of which have no previous annotation. We also present a comparison of gene signal estimations from the Exon 1.0 ST and the U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. Novel splicing events were predicted by experimental algorithms that compare the relative contribution of each exon to the cognate transcript intensity in each tissue. The resulting candidate splice variants were validated with RT-PCR. We found nine genes that were differentially spliced between colon tumors and normal colon tissues, several of which have not been previously implicated in cancer. Top scoring candidates from our analysis were also found to substantially overlap with EST-based bioinformatic

Comparison of genetic variations of the SLCO1B1, SLCO1B3, and SLCO2B1 genes among five ethnic groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Namgoong, Suhg; Cheong, Hyun Sub; Kim, Ji On; Kim, Lyoung Hyo; Na, Han Sung; Koh, In Song; Chung, Myeon Woo; Shin, Hyoung Doo

2015-11-01

Organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP; gene symbol, SLCO) transporters are generally involved in the uptake of multiple drugs and their metabolites at most epithelial barriers. The pattern of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these transporters may be determinants of interindividual variability in drug disposition and response. The objective of this study was to define the distribution of SNPs of three SLCO genes, SLCO1B1, SLCO1B3, and SLCO2B1, in a Korean population and other ethnic groups. The study was screened using the Illumina GoldenGate assay for genomic DNA from 450 interethnic subjects, including 11 pharmacogenetic core variants and 76 HapMap tagging SNPs. The genotype distribution of the Korean population was similar to East Asian populations, but significantly different from African American and European American cohorts. These interethnic differences will be useful information for prospective studies, including genetic association and pharmacogenetic studies of drug metabolism by SLCO families. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The sensitivity and efficacy method of PIK3CA exon 9 E545A as a high diagnostic accuracy in breast cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desriani

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PIK3s are lipid kinases. Mutation in the exon 9 and exon 20 determined as a predictive factor in anti-HER-2 therapy. In some countries, such as Singapore, China, and Peru, PIK3CA exon 9 E545A was reported to produce the highest rate of mutation. In this research, we developed and optimized PIK3CA exon 9 E545A detection methods with intercalating dye SYBR Green I based on the Tm Shift approach by using prepared recombinant plasmid pGEMT-easy PIK3CA exon 9 and PIK3CA exon 9 E545A. Recombinant plasmid was used due to the limited number of samples. Methods: Recombinant plasmid was prepared based on manufactured procedures, and this process was then followed by Tm prediction with Poland software, Tm Shift SYBR Green I development, and its characterization (reproducibility, repeatability, sensitivity, qPCR efficiency, and qPCR amplification, respectively. Result: A method for PIK3CA E545A detection based on TM shift SYBR Green I has been successfully developed. The melting temperature for PIK3CA exon 9 was 78.1 ± 0.1 °C, while that for PIK3CA exon E545A was 80.20 °C. The Tm of mutant was the same as that predicted using Polland Software. The reproducibility of the methods was high, with the coefficient values for inter and intra assays were below 10% with a high sensitivity at 1%, while R2 0.99 and PCR efficiency was 97.75%. Conclusion: The results presented here demonstrate that the PIK3CA exon 9 E545A detection method has a good sensitivity and efficacy assay, which proves that the method has a high diagnostic accuracy in breast cancer. Keywords: SYBR Green I, PIK3CA E545A, Breast cancer, Real time PCR, Recombinant plasmid

Neuronal SH2B1 is essential for controlling energy and glucose homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Decheng; Zhou, Yingjiang; Morris, David; Li, Minghua; Li, Zhiqin; Rui, Liangyou

2007-02-01

SH2B1 (previously named SH2-B), a cytoplasmic adaptor protein, binds via its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain to a variety of protein tyrosine kinases, including JAK2 and the insulin receptor. SH2B1-deficient mice are obese and diabetic. Here we demonstrated that multiple isoforms of SH2B1 (alpha, beta, gamma, and/or delta) were expressed in numerous tissues, including the brain, hypothalamus, liver, muscle, adipose tissue, heart, and pancreas. Rat SH2B1beta was specifically expressed in neural tissue in SH2B1-transgenic (SH2B1(Tg)) mice. SH2B1(Tg) mice were crossed with SH2B1-knockout (SH2B1(KO)) mice to generate SH2B1(TgKO) mice expressing SH2B1 only in neural tissue but not in other tissues. Systemic deletion of the SH2B1 gene resulted in metabolic disorders in SH2B1(KO) mice, including hyperlipidemia, leptin resistance, hyperphagia, obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. Neuron-specific restoration of SH2B1beta not only corrected the metabolic disorders in SH2B1(TgKO) mice, but also improved JAK2-mediated leptin signaling and leptin regulation of orexigenic neuropeptide expression in the hypothalamus. Moreover, neuron-specific overexpression of SH2B1 dose-dependently protected against high-fat diet-induced leptin resistance and obesity. These observations suggest that neuronal SH2B1 regulates energy balance, body weight, peripheral insulin sensitivity, and glucose homeostasis at least in part by enhancing hypothalamic leptin sensitivity.

EBI2 overexpression in mice leads to B1 B-cell expansion and chronic lymphocytic leukemia-like B-cell malignancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Niss Arfelt, Kristine; Barington, Line; Benned-Jensen, Tau; Kubale, Valentina; Kovalchuk, Alexander L; Daugvilaite, Viktorija; Christensen, Jan Pravsgaard; Thomsen, Allan Randrup; Egerod, Kristoffer L; Bassi, Maria R; Spiess, Katja; Schwartz, Thue W; Wang, Hongsheng; Morse, Herbert C; Holst, Peter J; Rosenkilde, Mette M

2017-02-16

Human and mouse chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) develops from CD5 + B cells that in mice and macaques are known to define the distinct B1a B-cell lineage. B1a cells are characterized by lack of germinal center (GC) development, and the B1a cell population is increased in mice with reduced GC formation. As a major mediator of follicular B-cell migration, the G protein-coupled receptor Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 ( EBI2 or GPR183 ) directs B-cell migration in the lymphoid follicles in response to its endogenous ligands, oxysterols. Thus, upregulation of EBI2 drives the B cells toward the extrafollicular area, whereas downregulation is essential for GC formation. We therefore speculated whether increased expression of EBI2 would lead to an expanded B1 cell subset and, ultimately, progression to CLL. Here, we demonstrate that B-cell-targeted expression of human EBI2 (hEBI2) in mice reduces GC-dependent immune responses, reduces total immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG levels, and leads to increased proliferation and upregulation of cellular oncogenes. Furthermore, hEBI2 overexpression leads to an abnormally expanded CD5 + B1a B-cell subset (present as early as 4 days after birth), late-onset lymphoid cancer development, and premature death. These findings are highly similar to those observed in CLL patients and identify EBI2 as a promoter of B-cell malignancies.

Identification of small molecule and genetic modulators of AON-induced dystrophin exon skipping by high-throughput screening.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debra A O'Leary

Full Text Available One therapeutic approach to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD recently entering clinical trials aims to convert DMD phenotypes to that of a milder disease variant, Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD, by employing antisense oligonucleotides (AONs targeting splice sites, to induce exon skipping and restore partial dystrophin function. In order to search for small molecule and genetic modulators of AON-dependent and independent exon skipping, we screened approximately 10,000 known small molecule drugs, >17,000 cDNA clones, and >2,000 kinase- targeted siRNAs against a 5.6 kb luciferase minigene construct, encompassing exon 71 to exon 73 of human dystrophin. As a result, we identified several enhancers of exon skipping, acting on both the reporter construct as well as endogenous dystrophin in mdx cells. Multiple mechanisms of action were identified, including histone deacetylase inhibition, tubulin modulation and pre-mRNA processing. Among others, the nucleolar protein NOL8 and staufen RNA binding protein homolog 2 (Stau2 were found to induce endogenous exon skipping in mdx cells in an AON-dependent fashion. An unexpected but recurrent theme observed in our screening efforts was the apparent link between the inhibition of cell cycle progression and the induction of exon skipping.

Coffin-Siris Syndrome with obesity, macrocephaly, hepatomegaly and hyperinsulinism caused by a mutation in the ARID1B gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Vals, Mari-Anne; Õiglane-Shlik, Eve; Nõukas, Margit; Shor, Riina; Peet, Aleksandr; Kals, Mart; Kivistik, Paula Ann; Metspalu, Andres; Õunap, Katrin

2014-11-01

Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS, MIM 135900) is a rare genetic disorder, and mutations in ARID1B were recently shown to cause CSS. In this study, we report a novel ARID1B mutation identified by whole-exome sequencing in a patient with clinical features of CSS. We identified a novel heterozygous frameshift mutation c.1584delG in exon 2 of ARID1B (NM_020732.3) predicting a premature stop codon p.(Leu528Phefs*65). Sanger sequencing confirmed the c.1584delG mutation as a de novo in the proband and that it was not present either in her parents, half-sister or half-brother. Clinically, the patient presented with extreme obesity, macrocephaly, hepatomegaly, hyperinsulinism and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which have previously not been described in CSS patients. We suggest that obesity, macrocephaly, hepatomegaly and/or PCOS may be added to the list of clinical features of ARID1B mutations, but further clinical reports are required to make a definite conclusion.

Distinct distribution of specific members of protein 4.1 genefamily in the mouse nephron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramez, Mohamed; Blot-Chabaud, Marcel; Cluzeaud, Francoise; Chanan, Sumita; Patterson, Michael; Walensky, Loren D.; Marfatia, Shirin; Baines, Anthony J.; Chasis, Joel A.; Conboy, John G.; Mohandas, Narla; Gascard, Philippe

2002-12-11

Background: Protein 4.1 is an adapter protein which linksthe actin cytoskeleton to various transmembrane proteins. 4.1 proteinsare encoded by four homologous genes, 4.1R, 4.1G, 4.1N, and 4.1B, whichundergo complex alternative splicing. Here we performed a detailedcharacterization of the expression of specific 4.1 proteins in the mousenephron. Methods: Distribution of renal 4.1 proteins was investigated bystaining of paraformaldehyde fixed mouse kidney sections with antibodieshighly specific for each 4.1 protein. Major 4.1 splice forms, amplifiedfrom mouse kidney marathon cDNA, were expressed in transfected COS-7cells in order to assign species of known exon composition to proteinsdetected in kidney. Results: A 105kDa4.1R splice form, initiating atATG-2 translation initiation site and lacking exon 16, but including exon17B, was restricted to thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. A 95kDa 4.1Nspliceform,lacking exons 15 and 17D, was expressed in either descendingor ascending thin limb of Henle'sloop, distal convoluted tubule and allregions of the collecting duct system. A major 108kDa 4.1B spliceform,initiating at a newly characterized ATG translation initiation site, andlacking exons 15, 17B, and 21, was present only in Bowman's capsule andproximal convoluted tubule (PCT). There was no expression of 4.1G inkidney. Conclusion: Distinct distribution of 4.1 proteins along thenephron suggests their involvement in targeting of selected transmembraneproteins in kidney epithelium andtherefore in regulation of specifickidney functions.

Identification of 51 novel exons of the Usher syndrome type 2A (USH2A) gene that encode multiple conserved functional domains and that are mutated in patients with Usher syndrome type II.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijk, E. van; Pennings, R.J.E.; Brinke, H. te; Claassen, A.M.W.; Yntema, H.G.; Hoefsloot, L.H.; Cremers, F.P.M.; Cremers, C.W.R.J.; Kremer, J.M.J.

2004-01-01

The USH2A gene is mutated in patients with Usher syndrome type IIa, which is the most common subtype of Usher syndrome and is characterized by hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa. Since mutation analysis by DNA sequencing of exons 1-21 revealed only ~63% of the expected USH2A mutations, we

Organic semiconductors based on [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene substructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Takimiya, Kazuo; Osaka, Itaru; Mori, Takamichi; Nakano, Masahiro

2014-05-20

The design, synthesis, and characterization of organic semiconductors applicable to organic electronic devices, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs), had been one of the most important topics in materials chemistry in the past decade. Among the vast number of materials developed, much expectation had been placed on thienoacenes, which are rigid and planar structures formed by fusing thiophenes and other aromatic rings, as a promising candidate for organic semiconductors for high-performance OFETs. However, the thienoacenes examined as an active material in OFETs in the 1990s afforded OFETs with only moderate hole mobilities (approximately 0.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)). We speculated that this was due to the sulfur atoms in the thienoacenes, which hardly contributed to the intermolecular orbital overlap in the solid state. On the other hand, we have focused on other types of thienoacenes, such as [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT), which seem to have appropriate HOMO spatial distribution for effective intermolecular orbital overlap. In fact, BTBT derivatives and their related materials, including dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT), have turned out to be superior organic semiconductors, affording OFETs with very high mobilities. To illustrate some examples, we have developed 2,7-diphenyl BTBT (DPh-BTBT) that yields vapor-deposited OFETs having mobilities of up to 2.0 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) under ambient conditions, highly soluble dialkyl-BTBTs (Cn-BTBTs) that afford solution-processed OFETs with mobilities higher than 1.0 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), and DNTT and its derivatives that yield OFETs with even higher mobilities (>3.0 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) and stability under ambient conditions. Such high performances are rationalized by their solid-state electronic structures that are calculated based on their packing structures: the large intermolecular orbital overlap and the isotropic two-dimensional electronic

A P387L variant in protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) is associated with type 2 diabetes and impaired serine phosphorylation of PTP-1B in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Echwald, Søren M; Riis, Helle Bach; Vestergaard, Henrik

2002-01-01

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that variability in the protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) gene is associated with type 2 diabetes. Using single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis, we examined cDNA of PTP-1B from 56 insulin-resistant patients with type 2 diabetes.......0012). In summary, a rare P387L variant of the PTP-1B gene is associated with a 3.7 (CI 1.26-10.93, P = 0.02) genotype relative risk of type 2 diabetes in the examined population of Danish Caucasian subjects and results in impaired in vitro serine phosphorylation of the PTP-1B peptide....

Deletion of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B Enhances Endothelial Cyclooxygenase 2 Expression and Protects Mice from Type 1 Diabetes-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J Herren

Full Text Available Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B dephosphorylates receptors tyrosine kinase and acts as a molecular brake on insulin signaling pathway. Conditions of metabolic dysfunction increase PTP1B, when deletion of PTP1B protects against metabolic disorders by increasing insulin signaling. Although vascular insulin signaling contributes to the control of glucose disposal, little is known regarding the direct role of PTP1B in the control of endothelial function. We hypothesized that metabolic dysfunctions increase PTP1B expression in endothelial cells and that PTP1B deletion prevents endothelial dysfunction in situation of diminished insulin secretion. Type I diabetes (T1DM was induced in wild-type (WT and PTP1B-deficient mice (KO with streptozotocin (STZ injection. After 28 days of T1DM, KO mice exhibited a similar reduction in body weight and plasma insulin levels and a comparable increase in glycemia (WT: 384 ± 20 vs. Ko: 432 ± 29 mg/dL, cholesterol and triglycerides, as WT mice. T1DM increased PTP1B expression and impaired endothelial NO-dependent relaxation, in mouse aorta. PTP1B deletion did not affect baseline endothelial function, but preserved endothelium-dependent relaxation, in T1DM mice. NO synthase inhibition with L-NAME abolished endothelial relaxation in control and T1DM WT mice, whereas L-NAME and the cyclooxygenases inhibitor indomethacin were required to abolish endothelium relaxation in T1DM KO mice. PTP1B deletion increased COX-2 expression and PGI2 levels, in mouse aorta and plasma respectively, in T1DM mice. In parallel, simulation of diabetic conditions increased PTP1B expression and knockdown of PTP1B increased COX-2 but not COX-1 expression, in primary human aortic endothelial cells. Taken together these data indicate that deletion of PTP1B protected endothelial function by compensating the reduction in NO bioavailability by increasing COX-2-mediated release of the vasodilator prostanoid PGI2, in T1DM mice.

Observation of $B^0_s\\rightarrow\\chi_{c1}\\phi$ decay and study of $B^0\\rightarrow\\chi_{c1,2}K^{*0}$ decays

CERN Document Server

INSPIRE-00258707; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Adrover, C; Affolder, A; Ajaltouni, Z; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves Jr, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; Anderlini, L; Anderson, J; Andreassen, R; Andrews, J E; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Baalouch, M; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Baesso, C; Balagura, V; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Bauer, Th; Bay, A; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Belogurov, S; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bettler, M -O; van Beuzekom, M; Bien, A; Bifani, S; Bird, T; Bizzeti, A; Bjørnstad, P M; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borghi, S; Borgia, A; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Brambach, T; van den Brand, J; Bressieux, J; Brett, D; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brook, N H; Brown, H; Burducea, I; Bursche, A; Busetto, G; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Callot, O; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Campora Perez, D; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carranza-Mejia, H; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Castillo Garcia, L; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Cenci, R; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chen, P; Chiapolini, N; Chrzaszcz, M; Ciba, K; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coca, C; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombes, M; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D C; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; David, P; David, P N Y; Davis, A; De Bonis, I; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Silva, W; De Simone, P; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Déléage, N; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Di Canto, A; Di Ruscio, F; Dijkstra, H; Dogaru, M; Donleavy, S; Dordei, F; Dosil Suárez, A; Dossett, D; Dovbnya, A; Dupertuis, F; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Easo, S; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; van Eijk, D; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; El Rifai, I; Elsasser, Ch; Elsby, D; Falabella, A; Färber, C; Fardell, G; Farinelli, C; Farry, S; Fave, V; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Albor, V; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fiore, M; Fitzpatrick, C; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forty, R; Francisco, O; Frank, M; Frei, C; Frosini, M; Furcas, S; Furfaro, E; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garofoli, J; Garosi, P; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Gaspar, C; Gauld, R; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gibson, V; Giubega, L; Gligorov, V V; Göbel, C; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gordon, H; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Greening, E; Gregson, S; Griffith, P; Grünberg, O; Gui, B; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hamilton, B; Hampson, T; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; Hartmann, T; He, J; Head, T; Heijne, V; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Hicheur, A; Hicks, E; Hill, D; Hoballah, M; Holtrop, M; Hombach, C; Hopchev, P; Hulsbergen, W; Hunt, P; Huse, T; Hussain, N; Hutchcroft, D; Hynds, D; Iakovenko, V; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jans, E; Jaton, P; Jawahery, A; Jing, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Joram, C; Jost, B; Kaballo, M; Kandybei, S; Kanso, W; Karacson, M; Karbach, T M; Kenyon, I R; Ketel, T; Keune, A; Khanji, B; Kochebina, O; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Korolev, M; Kozlinskiy, A; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krocker, G; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kvaratskheliya, T; La Thi, V N; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lambert, R W; Lanciotti, E; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J -P; Lefèvre, R; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Leo, S; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Leverington, B; Li, Y; Li Gioi, L; Liles, M; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Liu, B; Liu, G; Lohn, S; Longstaff, I; Lopes, J H; Lopez-March, N; Lu, H; Lucchesi, D; Luisier, J; Luo, H; Machefert, F; Machikhiliyan, I V; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Malde, S; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Marconi, U; Märki, R; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martens, A; Martín Sánchez, A; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martins Tostes, D; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Maurice, E; Mazurov, A; Mc Skelly, B; McCarthy, J; McNab, A; McNulty, R; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Merk, M; Milanes, D A; Minard, M -N; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monteil, S; Moran, D; Morawski, P; Mordà, A; Morello, M J; Mountain, R; Mous, I; Muheim, F; Müller, K; Muresan, R; Muryn, B; Muster, B; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neubert, S; Neufeld, N; Nguyen, A D; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nicol, M; Niess, V; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Nomerotski, A; Novoselov, A; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Oggero, S; Ogilvy, S; Okhrimenko, O; Oldeman, R; Orlandea, M; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Owen, P; Oyanguren, A; Pal, B K; Palano, A; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Parkes, C; Parkinson, C J; Passaleva, G; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrick, G N; Patrignani, C; Pavel-Nicorescu, C; Pazos Alvarez, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perez Trigo, E; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A; Perret, P; Perrin-Terrin, M; Pessina, G; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Phan, A; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pilař, T; Pinci, D; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Polci, F; Polok, G; Poluektov, A; Polyakov, I; Polycarpo, E; Popov, A; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Potterat, C; Powell, A; Prisciandaro, J; Pritchard, A; Prouve, C; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Rademacker, J H; Rakotomiaramanana, B; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Rauschmayr, N; Raven, G; Redford, S; Reid, M M; dos Reis, A C; Ricciardi, S; Richards, A; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Roa Romero, D A; Robbe, P; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Perez, P; Roiser, S; Romanovsky, V; Romero Vidal, A; Rouvinet, J; Ruf, T; Ruffini, F; Ruiz, H; Ruiz Valls, P; Sabatino, G; Saborido Silva, J J; Sagidova, N; Sail, P; Saitta, B; Salustino Guimaraes, V; Salzmann, C; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Sannino, M; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santovetti, E; Sapunov, M; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Savrie, M; Savrina, D; Schaack, P; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schune, M -H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Seco, M; Semennikov, A; Sepp, I; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shatalov, P; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, O; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Silva Coutinho, R; Sirendi, M; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, N A; Smith, E; Smith, J; Smith, M; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Soomro, F; Souza, D; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Sparkes, A; Spradlin, P; Stagni, F; Stahl, S; Steinkamp, O; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Subbiah, V K; Sun, L; Swientek, S; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szczypka, P; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Teklishyn, M; Teodorescu, E; Teubert, F; Thomas, C; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Tolk, S; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Torr, N; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tuning, N; Ubeda Garcia, M; Ukleja, A; Urner, D; Ustyuzhanin, A; Uwer, U; Vagnoni, V; Valenti, G; Vallier, A; Van Dijk, M; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vázquez Sierra, C; Vecchi, S; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Vesterinen, M; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Vollhardt, A; Volyanskyy, D; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; Voss, H; Waldi, R; Wallace, C; Wallace, R; Wandernoth, S; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Watson, N K; Webber, A D; Websdale, D; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wiechczynski, J; Wiedner, D; Wiggers, L; Wilkinson, G; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Wilson, F F; Wimberley, J; Wishahi, J; Witek, M; Wotton, S A; Wright, S; Wu, S; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, Z; Yang, Z; Young, R; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zangoli, M; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, F; Zhang, L; Zhang, W C; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zhokhov, A; Zhong, L; Zvyagin, A

2013-01-01

The first observation of the decay $B^0_s\\rightarrow\\chi_{c1}\\phi$ and a study of $B^0\\rightarrow\\chi_{c1,2}K^{*0}$ decays are presented. The analysis is performed using a dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The following ratios of branching fractions are measured: \\begin{equation*} \\begin{array}{lll} \\dfrac{\\cal{B}(B^0_s\\rightarrow\\chi_{c1}\\phi)}{\\cal{B}(B^0_s\\rightarrow J/\\psi\\phi)} &=& (18.9 \\pm1.8\\,(stat)\\pm1.3\\,(syst)\\pm0.8\\,(\\cal{B})) \\times 10^{-2}, \\\\ \\dfrac{\\cal{B}(B^0\\rightarrow\\chi_{c1}K^{*0})}{\\cal{B}(B^0\\rightarrow J/\\psi K^{*0})} &=& (19.8 \\pm1.1\\,(stat)\\pm1.2\\,(syst)\\pm0.9\\,(\\cal{B})) \\times 10^{-2}, \\\\ \\dfrac{\\cal{B}(B^0\\rightarrow\\chi_{c2}K^{*0})}{\\cal{B}(B^0\\rightarrow\\chi_{c 1}K^{*0})} &=& (17.1 \\pm5.0\\,(stat)\\pm1.7\\,(syst)\\pm1.1\\,(\\cal{B})) \\times 10^{-2}, \\\\ \\end{array} \\end{equation*} where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge o...

Aberrant Splicing Induced by Dysregulated Rbfox2 Produces Enhanced Function of CaV1.2 Calcium Channel and Vascular Myogenic Tone in Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yingying; Fan, Jia; Zhu, Huayuan; Ji, Li; Fan, Wenyong; Kapoor, Isha; Wang, Yue; Wang, Yuan; Zhu, Guoqing; Wang, Juejin

2017-12-01

Calcium influx from activated voltage-gated calcium channel Ca V 1.2 in vascular smooth muscle cells is indispensable for maintaining myogenic tone and blood pressure. The function of Ca V 1.2 channel can be optimized by alternative splicing, one of post-transcriptional modification mechanisms. The splicing factor Rbfox2 is known to regulate the Ca V 1.2 pre-mRNA alternative splicing events during neuronal development. However, Rbfox2's roles in modulating the key function of vascular Ca V 1.2 channel and in the pathogenesis of hypertension remain elusive. Here, we report that the proportion of Ca V 1.2 channels with alternative exon 9* is increased by 10.3%, whereas that with alternative exon 33 is decreased by 10.5% in hypertensive arteries. Surprisingly, the expression level of Rbfox2 is increased ≈3-folds, presumably because of the upregulation of a dominant-negative isoform of Rbfox2. In vascular smooth muscle cells, we find that knockdown of Rbfox2 dynamically increases alternative exon 9*, whereas decreases exon 33 inclusion of Ca V 1.2 channels. By patch-clamp studies, we show that diminished Rbfox2-induced alternative splicing shifts the steady-state activation and inactivation curves of vascular Ca V 1.2 calcium channel to hyperpolarization, which makes the window current potential to more negative. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rbfox2 increases the pressure-induced vascular myogenic tone of rat mesenteric artery. Taken together, our data indicate that Rbfox2 modulates the functions of vascular Ca V 1.2 calcium channel by dynamically regulating the expressions of alternative exons 9* and 33, which in turn affects the vascular myogenic tone. Therefore, our work suggests a key role for Rbfox2 in hypertension, which provides a rational basis for designing antihypertensive therapies. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

SH2B1 regulation of energy balance, body weight, and glucose metabolism

OpenAIRE

Rui, Liangyou

2014-01-01

The Src homology 2B (SH2B) family members (SH2B1, SH2B2 and SH2B3) are adaptor signaling proteins containing characteristic SH2 and PH domains. SH2B1 (also called SH2-B and PSM) and SH2B2 (also called APS) are able to form homo- or hetero-dimers via their N-terminal dimerization domains. Their C-terminal SH2 domains bind to tyrosyl phosphorylated proteins, including Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), TrkA, insulin receptors, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1), and...

17 CFR 240.13b2-1 - Falsification of accounting records.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Falsification of accounting records. 240.13b2-1 Section 240.13b2-1 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE... Required Reports § 240.13b2-1 Falsification of accounting records. No person shall directly or indirectly...

Leptospira Immunoglobulin-Like Protein B Interacts with the 20th Exon of Human Tropoelastin Contributing to Leptospiral Adhesion to Human Lung Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Ching-Lin; Tseng, Andrew; He, Hongxuan; Kuo, Chih-Jung; Wang, Xuannian; Chang, Yung-Fu

2017-01-01

Leptospira immunoglobulin-like protein B (LigB), a surface adhesin, is capable of mediating the attachment of pathogenic leptospira to the host through interaction with various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Human tropoelastin (HTE), the building block of elastin, confers resilience and elasticity to lung, and other tissues. Previously identified Ig-like domains of LigB, including LigB4 and LigB12, bind to HTE, which is likely to promote Leptospira adhesion to lung tissue. However, the molecular mechanism that mediates the LigB-HTE interaction is unclear. In this study, the LigB-binding site on HTE was further pinpointed to a N-terminal region of the 20th exon of HTE (HTE20N). Alanine mutants of basic and aromatic residues on HTE20N significantly reduced binding to the LigB. Additionally, HTE-binding site was narrowed down to the first β-sheet of LigB12. On this binding surface, residues F1054, D1061, A1065, and D1066 were critical for the association with HTE. Most importantly, the recombinant HTE truncates could diminish the binding of LigB to human lung fibroblasts (WI-38) by 68%, and could block the association of LigA-expressing L. biflexa to lung cells by 61%. These findings should expand our understanding of leptospiral pathogenesis, particularly in pulmonary manifestations of leptospirosis.

Leptospira Immunoglobulin-Like Protein B Interacts with the 20th Exon of Human Tropoelastin Contributing to Leptospiral Adhesion to Human Lung Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Lin Hsieh

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Leptospira immunoglobulin-like protein B (LigB, a surface adhesin, is capable of mediating the attachment of pathogenic leptospira to the host through interaction with various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM. Human tropoelastin (HTE, the building block of elastin, confers resilience and elasticity to lung, and other tissues. Previously identified Ig-like domains of LigB, including LigB4 and LigB12, bind to HTE, which is likely to promote Leptospira adhesion to lung tissue. However, the molecular mechanism that mediates the LigB-HTE interaction is unclear. In this study, the LigB-binding site on HTE was further pinpointed to a N-terminal region of the 20th exon of HTE (HTE20N. Alanine mutants of basic and aromatic residues on HTE20N significantly reduced binding to the LigB. Additionally, HTE-binding site was narrowed down to the first β-sheet of LigB12. On this binding surface, residues F1054, D1061, A1065, and D1066 were critical for the association with HTE. Most importantly, the recombinant HTE truncates could diminish the binding of LigB to human lung fibroblasts (WI-38 by 68%, and could block the association of LigA-expressing L. biflexa to lung cells by 61%. These findings should expand our understanding of leptospiral pathogenesis, particularly in pulmonary manifestations of leptospirosis.

Effect of sulfur dioxide inhalation on CYP2B1/2 and CYP2E1 in rat liver and lung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guohua Qin; Ziqiang Meng [Shanxi University, Taiyuan (China). Institute of Environmental Medicine and Toxicology

2006-07-15

Sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) is a ubiquitous air pollutant, present in low concentrations in the urban air and in higher concentrations in the working environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of inhaled SO{sub 2} on the O-dealkylase of pentoxyresorufin (PROD) and p-nitrophenol hydroxylases (p-NP) activities and mRNA levels of CYP2B1/2 and CYP2E1 in the lung and liver of Wistar rats. Male Wistar rats were housed in exposure chambers and treated with 14.11 {+-}1.53, 28.36 {+-} 2.12, and 56.25 {+-} 4.28 mg /m{sup 3}SO{sub 2} for 6 h/day for 7 days, while control rats were exposed to filtered air in the same condition. The mRNAs of CYP2B1/2 and -2E1 were analyzed in livers and lungs by using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results showed that the PROD activities and mRNA of CYP2B1/2 were decreased in livers and lungs of rats exposed to SO{sub 2}. The p-NP activities and mRNA of CYP2E1 were decreased in lungs but not in livers of rats exposed to SO{sub 2}. Total liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 (CYP) contents were diminished in SO{sub 2} -exposed rats. These results lead to two conclusions: (1) SO{sub 2} exposure can suppress CYP2B1/2 and CYP2E1 in lungs and CYP2B1/2 in livers of rats, thus modifying the liver and lung toxication/detoxication potential, and (2) the total liver microsomal CYP contents were diminished, although the activity and mRNA expression of CYP2E1 in rat livers were not affected by SO{sub 2} exposure.

Synthesis and structure of PbBipy2(1-B10H9S(CH3)2)2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlova, A.M.; Sivaev, I.B.; Lagun, V.L.; Katser, S.B.; Solntsev, K.A.; Kuznetsov, N.T.

1993-01-01

Lead complex with B 10 H 9 S(CH 3 ) 2 - anion and 2,2'-bipyridine was synthesized and characterized. According to the data of X-ray diffraction analysis the crystals belong to monoclinic crystal system, sp. gr. P2 1 /a: a = 9.940(4), b 31.568(4), c = 13.458(2) A, β = 111.09(2) deg, V = 3940(2) A 3 , Z = 4. The structure consists of monomer units PbBipy 2 (1-B 10 H 9 S(CH 3 ) 2 ) 2 . The Pb-B distances are within 3.24-3.55 A. 15 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

B-2 Extremely High Frequency SATCOM and Computer Increment 1 (B-2 EHF Inc 1)

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

Confidence Level Confidence Level of cost estimate for current APB: 55% This APB reflects cost and funding data based on the B-2 EHF Increment I SCP...This cost estimate was quantified at the Mean (~55%) confidence level . Total Quantity Quantity SAR Baseline Production Estimate Current APB...Production Estimate Econ Qty Sch Eng Est Oth Spt Total 33.624 -0.350 1.381 0.375 0.000 -6.075 0.000 -0.620 -5.289 28.335 Current SAR Baseline to Current

Polymorphisms in HSD17B1: Early Onset and Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in Women with Down Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph H. Lee

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims. Genetic variants that affect estrogen activity may influence the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD. In women with Down syndrome, we examined the relation of polymorphisms in hydroxysteroid-17beta-dehydrogenase (HSD17B1 to age at onset and risk of AD. HSD17B1 encodes the enzyme 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD1, which catalyzes the conversion of estrone to estradiol. Methods. Two hundred and thirty-eight women with DS, nondemented at baseline, 31–78 years of age, were followed at 14–18-month intervals for 4.5 years. Women were genotyped for 5 haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in the HSD17B1 gene region, and their association with incident AD was examined. Results. Age at onset was earlier, and risk of AD was elevated from two- to threefold among women homozygous for the minor allele at 3 SNPs in intron 4 (rs676387, exon 6 (rs605059, and exon 4 in COASY (rs598126. Carriers of the haplotype TCC, based on the risk alleles for these three SNPs, had an almost twofold increased risk of developing AD (hazard ratio = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.1–3.1. Conclusion. These findings support experimental and clinical studies of the neuroprotective role of estrogen.

A novel mutation in SURF1 causes skipping of exon 8 in a patient with cytochrome c oxidase-deficient leigh syndrome and hypertrichosis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Williams, S. L.; Taanman, J. W.; Hansíková, H.; Houšťková, H.; Chowdhury, Subir; Zeman, J.; Houštěk, Josef

2001-01-01

Roč. 73, č. 4 (2001), s. 340-343 ISSN 1096-7192 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A079; GA ČR GA302/99/0648; GA MZd NE6533 Grant - others:The Wellcome Trust(XX) 048410 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : SURF1 * exon skipping * mitochondrial disorder Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.345, year: 2001

A rare male patient with classic Rett syndrome caused by MeCP2_e1 mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokaji, Narumi; Ito, Hiromichi; Kohmoto, Tomohiro; Naruto, Takuya; Takahashi, Rizu; Goji, Aya; Mori, Tatsuo; Toda, Yoshihiro; Saito, Masako; Tange, Shoichiro; Masuda, Kiyoshi; Kagami, Shoji; Imoto, Issei

2018-03-01

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder typically affecting females. It is mainly caused by loss-of-function mutations that affect the coding sequence of exon 3 or 4 of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). Severe neonatal encephalopathy resulting in death before the age of 2 years is the most common phenotype observed in males affected by a pathogenic MECP2 variant. Mutations in MECP2 exon 1 affecting the MeCP2_e1 isoform are relatively rare causes of RTT in females, and only one case of a male patient with MECP2-related severe neonatal encephalopathy caused by a mutation in MECP2 exon 1 has been reported. This is the first reported case of a male with classic RTT caused by a 5-bp duplication in the open-reading frame of MECP2 exon 1 (NM_001110792.1:c.23_27dup) that introduced a premature stop codon [p.(Ser10Argfs*36)] in the MeCP2_e1 isoform, which has been reported in one female patient with classic RTT. Therefore, both males and females displaying at least some type of MeCP2_e1 mutation may exhibit the classic RTT phenotype. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ascorbic acid deficiency decreases hepatic cytochrome P-450, especially CYP2B1/2B2, and simultaneously induces heme oxygenase-1 gene expression in scurvy-prone ODS rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Misato; Hoshinaga, Yukiko; Miura, Natsuko; Tokuda, Yuki; Shigeoka, Shigeru; Murai, Atsushi; Horio, Fumihiko

2014-01-01

The mechanisms underlying the decrease in hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP) content in ascorbic acid deficiency was investigated in scurvy-prone ODS rats. First, male ODS rats were fed a diet containing sufficient ascorbic acid (control) or a diet without ascorbic acid (deficient) for 18 days, with or without the intraperitoneal injection of phenobarbital. Ascorbic acid deficiency decreased hepatic microsomal total CYP content, CYP2B1/2B2 protein, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COX) complex IV subunit I protein, and simultaneously increased heme oxygenase-1 protein in microsomes and mitochondria. Next, heme oxygenase-1 inducers, that is lipopolysaccharide and hemin, were administered to phenobaribital-treated ODS rats fed sufficient ascorbic acid. The administration of these inducers decreased hepatic microsomal total CYP content, CYP2B1/2B2 protein, and mitochondrial COX complex IV subunit I protein. These results suggested that the stimulation of hepatic heme oxygenase-1 expression by ascorbic acid deficiency caused the decrease in CYP content in liver.

Clinical utility of routine MPL exon 10 analysis in the diagnosis of essential thrombocythaemia and primary myelofibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Elaine M; Bench, Anthony J; Goday-Fernández, Andrea; Anand, Shubha; Vaghela, Krishna J; Beer, Phillip; Scott, Mike A; Bareford, David; Green, Anthony R; Huntly, Brian; Erber, Wendy N

2010-04-01

Approximately 50% of essential thrombocythaemia and primary myelo-fibrosis patients do not have a JAK2 V617F mutation. Up to 5% of these are reported to have a MPL exon 10 mutation but testing for MPL is not routine as there are multiple mutation types. The ability to routinely assess both JAK2 and MPL mutations would be beneficial in the differential diagnosis of unexplained thrombocytosis or myelofibrosis. We developed and applied a high resolution melt (HRM) assay, capable of detecting all known MPL mutations in a single analysis, for the detection of MPL exon 10 mutations. We assessed 175 ET and PMF patients, including 67 that were JAK2 V617F-negative by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 19/175 (11%) patients had a MPL exon 10 mutation, of whom 16 were JAK2 V617F-negative (16/67; 24%). MPL mutation types were W515L (11), W515K (4), W515R (2) and W515A (1). One patient had both W515L and S505N MPL mutations and these were present in the same haemopoietic colonies. Real time PCR for JAK2 V617F analysis and HRM for MPL exon 10 status identified one or more clonal marker in 71% of patients. This combined genetic approach increases the sensitivity of meeting the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for these myeloproliferative neoplasms.

A case report of reversible generalized seizures in a patient with Waardenburg syndrome associated with a novel nonsense mutation in the penultimate exon of SOX10.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Noriomi; Mutai, Hideki; Miya, Fuyuki; Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko; Terashima, Hiroshi; Morimoto, Noriko; Matsunaga, Tatsuo

2018-05-23

Waardenburg syndrome type 1 (WS1) can be distinguished from Waardenburg syndrome type 2 (WS2) by the presence of dystopia canthorum. About 96% of WS1 are due to PAX3 mutations, and SOX10 mutations have been reported in 15% of WS2. This report describes a patient with WS1 who harbored a novel SOX10 nonsense mutation (c.652G > T, p.G218*) in exon 3 which is the penultimate exon. The patient had mild prodromal neurological symptoms that were followed by severe attacks of generalized seizures associated with delayed myelination of the brain. The immature myelination recovered later and the neurological symptoms could be improved. This is the first truncating mutation in exon 3 of SOX10 that is associated with neurological symptoms in Waardenburg syndrome. Previous studies reported that the neurological symptoms that associate with WS are congenital and irreversible. These findings suggest that the reversible neurological phenotype may be associated with the nonsense mutation in exon 3 of SOX10. When patients of WS show mild prodromal neurological symptoms, the clinician should be aware of the possibility that severe attacks of generalized seizures may follow, which may be associated with the truncating mutation in exon 3 of SOX10.

Th1 and Th2 help for B cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poudrier, J; Owens, T

1995-01-01

that IL-5 (125 U/ml) synergizes with Th1 cells to induce B cell responses to IL-2, that are maintained following T-cell removal, e.g. autonomous. Th1 help in the absence of IL-5 resulted in weak or undetectable responses following T cell removal. The mechanism of IL-5 synergy involved persistence of IL-2R...... anti-Ig did not circumvent the need for IL-5 for autonomous IL-2 responses. Consistent with the above, interaction with an IL-5-producing Th2 clone induced strong autonomous B cell responses to IL-2. Qualitative differences of Th2 help over that of Th1 may thus be attributable to their differential...

Dual exon skipping in myostatin and dystrophin for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Ommen Gert Jan B

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Myostatin is a potent muscle growth inhibitor that belongs to the Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β family. Mutations leading to non functional myostatin have been associated with hypermuscularity in several organisms. By contrast, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD is characterized by a loss of muscle fibers and impaired regeneration. In this study, we aim to knockdown myostatin by means of exon skipping, a technique which has been successfully applied to reframe the genetic defect of dystrophin gene in DMD patients. Methods We targeted myostatin exon 2 using antisense oligonucleotides (AON in healthy and DMD-derived myotubes cultures. We assessed the exon skipping level, transcriptional expression of myostatin and its target genes, and combined myostatin and several dystrophin AONs. These AONs were also applied in the mdx mice models via intramuscular injections. Results Myostatin AON induced exon 2 skipping in cell cultures and to a lower extent in the mdx mice. It was accompanied by decrease in myostatin mRNA and enhanced MYOG and MYF5 expression. Furthermore, combination of myostatin and dystrophin AONs induced simultaneous skipping of both genes. Conclusions We conclude that two AONs can be used to target two different genes, MSTN and DMD, in a straightforward manner. Targeting multiple ligands of TGF-beta family will be more promising as adjuvant therapies for DMD.

IRE1α links Nck1 deficiency to attenuated PTP1B expression in HepG2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hui; Li, Bing; Larose, Louise

2017-08-01

PTP1B, a prototype of the non-receptor subfamily of the protein tyrosine phosphatase superfamily, plays a key role in regulating intracellular signaling from various receptor and non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases. Previously, we reported that silencing Nck1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells enhances basal and growth factor-induced activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway through attenuating PTP1B expression. However, the underlying mechanism by which Nck1 depletion represses PTP1B expression remains unclear. In this study, we found that silencing Nck1 attenuates PTP1B expression in HepG2 cells through down-regulation of IRE1α. Indeed, we show that silencing Nck1 in HepG2 cells leads to decreased IRE1α expression and signaling. Accordingly, IRE1α depletion using siRNA in HepG2 cells enhances PI3K-dependent basal and growth factor-induced Akt activation, reproducing the effects of silencing Nck1 on activation of this pathway. In addition, depletion of IRE1α also leads to reduced PTP1B expression, which was rescued by ectopic expression of IRE1α in Nck1-depleted cells. Mechanistically, we found that silencing either Nck1 or IRE1α in HepG2 cells decreases PTP1B mRNA levels and stability. However, despite miR-122 levels, a miRNA targeting PTP1B 3' UTR and inducing PTP1B mRNA degradation in HepG2 cells, are increased in both Nck1- and IRE1α-depleted HepG2 cells, a miR-122 antagomir did not rescue PTP1B expression in these cells. Overall, this study highlights an important role for Nck1 in fine-tuning IRE1α expression and signaling that regulate PTP1B expression and subsequent activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway in HepG2 cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential GC Content between Exons and Introns Establishes Distinct Strategies of Splice-Site Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maayan Amit

2012-05-01

Full Text Available During evolution segments of homeothermic genomes underwent a GC content increase. Our analyses reveal that two exon-intron architectures have evolved from an ancestral state of low GC content exons flanked by short introns with a lower GC content. One group underwent a GC content elevation that abolished the differential exon-intron GC content, with introns remaining short. The other group retained the overall low GC content as well as the differential exon-intron GC content, and is associated with longer introns. We show that differential exon-intron GC content regulates exon inclusion level in this group, in which disease-associated mutations often lead to exon skipping. This group's exons also display higher nucleosome occupancy compared to flanking introns and exons of the other group, thus “marking” them for spliceosomal recognition. Collectively, our results reveal that differential exon-intron GC content is a previously unidentified determinant of exon selection and argue that the two GC content architectures reflect the two mechanisms by which splicing signals are recognized: exon definition and intron definition.

The role of exon shuffling in shaping protein-protein interaction networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

França Gustavo S

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical protein-protein interaction (PPI is a critical phenomenon for the function of most proteins in living organisms and a significant fraction of PPIs are the result of domain-domain interactions. Exon shuffling, intron-mediated recombination of exons from existing genes, is known to have been a major mechanism of domain shuffling in metazoans. Thus, we hypothesized that exon shuffling could have a significant influence in shaping the topology of PPI networks. Results We tested our hypothesis by compiling exon shuffling and PPI data from six eukaryotic species: Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Arabidopsis thaliana. For all four metazoan species, genes enriched in exon shuffling events presented on average higher vertex degree (number of interacting partners in PPI networks. Furthermore, we verified that a set of protein domains that are simultaneously promiscuous (known to interact to multiple types of other domains, self-interacting (able to interact with another copy of themselves and abundant in the genomes presents a stronger signal for exon shuffling. Conclusions Exon shuffling appears to have been a recurrent mechanism for the emergence of new PPIs along metazoan evolution. In metazoan genomes, exon shuffling also promoted the expansion of some protein domains. We speculate that their promiscuous and self-interacting properties may have been decisive for that expansion.

Paleomagnetic study of areas B1, C1 and E2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, C.; Sopher, C.

1982-01-01

Sediments from all three areas retain a stable primary remanence with a small viscous overprint which can be removed by AF cleaning. This marginally reduces the scatter in NRM data and improves the constraints on some reversal boundaries. Excellent reversal stratigraphies exist in all cores, particularly within area E2, with the exception of core B1-43P. This core is normally magnetized throughout and has a larger viscous component than other cores. Sedimentation rates are slower during the Brunhes epoch in all cores except C1-32P and C1-33P. Cores C1-34P and E2-46P have almost constant sedimentation rates throughout. The abnormally low average sedimentation rate during the Brunhes in core C1-35P suggest a loss of up to 2m of sediment, either during coring or by in situ erosion. Overall sedimentation rates are highest in area B1, lowest in area E2, and show least variation between cores in area E2. There is no general correlation between lithology and the paleomagnetic record. Ash layers and horizons with abnormally low water contents sometimes coincide with spikes in the paleomagnetic records

Genetic alteration with variable intron/exon organization amongst five PI-homoeologous genes in Platanus acerifolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiaqi; Guo, Cong; Liu, Guofeng; Li, Zhineng; Li, Xiaomei; Bao, Manzhu

2011-03-01

Flower development has been extensively characterized in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus. However, there have been few studies in woody species. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of five PISTILLATA (PI) homoeologous genes (PaPI1-to-5) from the London Plane tree (Platanus acerifolia Willd). PaPI1 and PaPI2 show a similar genomic structure to other known PI homoeologs, but PaPI3/4/5 lack intron sequences. In addition, PaPI5 lacks the third, fourth and fifth exons which encode the K-domain. These altered gene copies may have originated as 'processed' retrogenes. PaPI2 appears micro-regulated by alternative splicing, displaying three splice forms (PaPI2a, PaPI2b and PaPI2c). RT-PCR analysis showed different expression profiles and transcript abundance for the five PaPI genes. PaPI transcripts encoding full-length polypeptides were expressed predominantly in male/female inflorescences and PaPI2a was the most abundant transcript (59%) indicating that PaPI2 may be the major functional PI-homoeolog in London Plane. Phenotypic characterization in a heterologous expression system demonstrated that the full-length PaPI product functions as a B class gene. By contrast the PaPI5 form, which lacks the K-domain, had no apparent effect on flower development. In vitro studies also demonstrated that the K-domain is required to form PaPI/PaAP3 heterodimers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neuronal SH2B1 is essential for controlling energy and glucose homeostasis

OpenAIRE

Ren, Decheng; Zhou, Yingjiang; Morris, David; Li, Minghua; Li, Zhiqin; Rui, Liangyou

2007-01-01

SH2B1 (previously named SH2-B), a cytoplasmic adaptor protein, binds via its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain to a variety of protein tyrosine kinases, including JAK2 and the insulin receptor. SH2B1-deficient mice are obese and diabetic. Here we demonstrated that multiple isoforms of SH2B1 (α, β, γ, and/or δ) were expressed in numerous tissues, including the brain, hypothalamus, liver, muscle, adipose tissue, heart, and pancreas. Rat SH2B1β was specifically expressed in neural tissue in SH2B1-tran...

Effects of Al content and annealing on the phases formation, lattice parameters, and magnetization of A lxF e2B2 (x =1.0 ,1.1 ,1.2 ) alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, E. M.; Jensen, B. A.; Barua, R.; Lejeune, B.; Howard, A.; McCallum, R. W.; Kramer, M. J.; Lewis, L. H.

2018-03-01

AlF e2B2 is a ferromagnet with the Curie temperature around 300 K and has the potential to be an outstanding rare-earth free candidate for magnetocaloric applications. However, samples prepared from the melt contain additional phases which affect the functional response of the AlF e2B2 phase. We report on the effects of Al content in samples with the initial (nominal) composition of A lxF e2B2 , where x =1.0 , 1.1, and 1.2 prepared by arc-melting followed by suction casting and annealing. The as-cast A lxF e2B2 alloys contain AlF e2B2 as well as additional phases, including the primary solidifying FeB and A l13F e4 compounds, which are ferromagnetic and paramagnetic, respectively, at 300 K. The presence of these phases makes it difficult to extract the intrinsic magnetic properties of AlF e2B2 phase. Annealing of A lxF e2B2 alloys at 1040 °C for 3 days allows for reaction of the FeB with A l13F e4 to form the AlF e2B2 phase, significantly reduces the amount of additional phases, and results in nearly pure AlF e2B2 phase as confirmed with XRD, magnetization, scanning electron microscopy, and electronic transport. The values of the magnetization, effective magnetic moment per Fe atom, specific heat capacity, electrical resistivity, and Seebeck coefficient for the AlF e2B2 compound have been established.

Discovery of the rare HLA-B*39:77 allele in an unrelated Taiwanese bone marrow stem cell donor using the sequence-based typing method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, K L; Lee, S K; Lin, P Y

2013-08-01

We detected a rare HLA-B locus allele, B*39:77, in a Taiwanese unrelated marrow stem cell donor in our routine HLA sequence-based typing (SBT) exercise for a possible haematopoietic stem cell donation. In exons 2, 3 and 4, the DNA sequence of B*39:77 is identical to the sequence of B*39:01:01:01 except one nucleotide at nucleotide position 733 (G->A) in exon 4. The nucleotide variation caused one amino acid alteration at residue 221 (Gly->Ser). B*39:77 was probably derived from a nucleotide substitution event involving B*39:01:01:01. The probable HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 haplotype in association with B*39:77 may be deduced as A*02:01-B*39:77-C*07:02-DRB1*08:03-DQB1*06:01. Our discovery of B*39:77 in Taiwanese adds further polymorphism of B*39 variants in Taiwanese population. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nucleobase-modified antisense oligonucleotides containing 5-(phenyltriazol)-2′-deoxyuridine nucleotides induce exon-skipping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le, Bao T.; Hornum, Mick; Sharma, Pawan K.

2017-01-01

Chemically-modified antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon-skipping has been validated as a therapeutic strategy for tackling several disease pathologies, particularly duchenne muscular dystrophy. To date, only sugar-modified and internucleotide linkage-modified oligonucleotide chemistries have...

Silencing of Atp2b1 increases blood pressure through vasoconstriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Young-Bin; Lim, Ji Eun; Ji, Su-Min; Lee, Hyeon-Ju; Park, So-Yon; Hong, Kyung-Won; Lim, Mihwa; McCarthy, Mark I; Lee, Young-Ho; Oh, Bermseok

2013-08-01

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified 30 genetic loci that regulate blood pressure, increasing our understanding of the cause of hypertension. However, it has been difficult to define the causative genes at these loci due to a lack of functional analyses. In this study, we aimed to validate the candidate gene ATP2B1 in 12q21, variants near which have the strongest association with blood pressure in Asians and Europeans. ATP2B1 functions as a calcium pump to fine-tune calcium concentrations - necessary for repolarization following muscular contractions. We silenced Atp2b1 using an siRNA complex, injected into mouse tail veins. In treated mice, blood pressure rose and the mesenteric arteries increased in wall : lumen ratio. Moreover, the arteries showed enhanced myogenic responses to pressure, and contractile responses to phenylephrine increased compared with the control, suggesting that blood pressure is regulated by ATP2B1 through the contraction and dilation of the vessel, likely by controlling calcium concentrations in the resting state. These results support that ATP2B1 is the causative gene in the blood pressure-associated 12q21 locus and demonstrate that ATP2B1 expression in the vessel influences blood pressure.

Supply with the vitamins B1, B2 and B6 in carcinomas before and after radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimm, U.; Wulff, K.; Schmidt, W.

1983-01-01

In 108 breast cancer, 63 cervix carcinoma, 35 corpus carcinoma and 15 ovarial cancer patients the erythrocyte transketolase, gluthathione reductase and aspartate aminotransferase activity were determined as parameters for the supply with vitamin B 1 , B 2 and B 6 before and after radiotherapy. The effects of thiamine pyrophosphate determined in cancer patients were normal but the effects of flavin adenine dinucleotide and pyridoxal-5-phosphate were significantly increased compared to the controls. These results revealed radiation-induced disorders in the B 2 metabolism and tumor-induced disorders in the B 6 metabolism. Both disorders can be avoided by treatment with vitamin B complex. (author)

A deep intronic CLRN1 (USH3A) founder mutation generates an aberrant exon and underlies severe Usher syndrome on the Arabian Peninsula.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Arif O; Becirovic, Elvir; Betz, Christian; Neuhaus, Christine; Altmüller, Janine; Maria Riedmayr, Lisa; Motameny, Susanne; Nürnberg, Gudrun; Nürnberg, Peter; Bolz, Hanno J

2017-05-03

Deafblindness is mostly due to Usher syndrome caused by recessive mutations in the known genes. Mutation-negative patients therefore either have distinct diseases, mutations in yet unknown Usher genes or in extra-exonic parts of the known genes - to date a largely unexplored possibility. In a consanguineous Saudi family segregating Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1), NGS of genes for Usher syndrome, deafness and retinal dystrophy and subsequent whole-exome sequencing each failed to identify a mutation. Genome-wide linkage analysis revealed two small candidate regions on chromosome 3, one containing the USH3A gene CLRN1, which has never been associated with Usher syndrome in Saudi Arabia. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified a homozygous deep intronic mutation, c.254-649T > G, predicted to generate a novel donor splice site. CLRN1 minigene-based analysis confirmed the splicing of an aberrant exon due to usage of this novel motif, resulting in a frameshift and a premature termination codon. We identified this mutation in an additional two of seven unrelated mutation-negative Saudi USH1 patients. Locus-specific markers indicated that c.254-649T > G CLRN1 represents a founder allele that may significantly contribute to deafblindness in this population. Our finding underlines the potential of WGS to uncover atypically localized, hidden mutations in patients who lack exonic mutations in the known disease genes.

Neutron diffraction studies of Ho1-xYxNi2B2C compounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, L.J.; Tomy, C.V.; Paul, D.M.K.

1996-01-01

Neutron diffraction measurements have been carried out to investigate the nature of magnetic ordering in Ho(1-x)Y(x)Ni(2)B(2)C (x = 0, 0.1 and 0.2) compounds. HoNi(2)B(2)C shows a complex type of magnetic ordering below the superconducting transition, with a commensurate antiferromagnetic ordering...

ErbB2, but not ErbB1, reinitiates proliferation and induces luminal repopulation in epithelial acini

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muthuswamy, Senthil K; Li, Dongmei; Lelievre, Sophie; Bissell, Mina J; Brugge, Joan S

2001-08-08

Both ErbB1 and ErbB2 are overexpressed or amplified in breast tumors. To examine the effects of activating ErbB receptors in a context that mimics polarized epithelial cells in vivo, we activated ErbB1 and ErbB2 homodimers in preformed, growth-arrested mammary acini cultured in three-dimensional basement membrane gels. Activation of ErbB2, but not that of ErbB1, led to a reinitiation of cell proliferation and altered the properties of mammary acinar structures. These altered structures share several properties with early-stage tumors, including a loss of proliferative suppression, an absence of lumen, retention of the basement membrane and a lack of invasive properties. ErbB2 activation also disrupted tight junctions and the cell polarity of polarized epithelia, whereas ErbB1 activation did not have any effect. Our results indicate that ErbB receptors differ in their ability to induce early stages of mammary carcinogenesis in vitro and this three-dimensional model system can reveal biological activities of oncogenes that cannot be examined in vitro in standard transformation assays.

Protein Phosphotyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) in Calpain-dependent Feedback Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR2) in Endothelial Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yixuan; Li, Qiang; Youn, Ji Youn; Cai, Hua

2017-01-01

The VEGF/VEGFR2/Akt/eNOS/NO pathway is essential to VEGF-induced angiogenesis. We have previously discovered a novel role of calpain in mediating VEGF-induced PI3K/AMPK/Akt/eNOS activation through Ezrin. Here, we sought to identify possible feedback regulation of VEGFR2 by calpain via its substrate protein phosphotyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), and the relevance of this pathway to VEGF-induced angiogenesis, especially in diabetic wound healing. Overexpression of PTP1B inhibited VEGF-induced VEGFR2 and Akt phosphorylation in bovine aortic endothelial cells, while PTP1B siRNA increased both, implicating negative regulation of VEGFR2 by PTP1B. Calpain inhibitor ALLN induced VEGFR2 activation, which can be completely blocked by PTP1B overexpression. Calpain activation induced by overexpression or Ca/A23187 resulted in PTP1B cleavage, which can be blocked by ALLN. Moreover, calpain activation inhibited VEGF-induced VEGFR2 phosphorylation, which can be restored by PTP1B siRNA. These data implicate calpain/PTP1B negative feedback regulation of VEGFR2, in addition to the primary signaling pathway of VEGF/VEGFR2/calpain/PI3K/AMPK/Akt/eNOS. We next examined a potential role of PTP1B in VEGF-induced angiogenesis. Endothelial cells transfected with PTP1B siRNA showed faster wound closure in response to VEGF. Aortic discs isolated from PTP1B siRNA-transfected mice also had augmented endothelial outgrowth. Importantly, PTP1B inhibition and/or calpain overexpression significantly accelerated wound healing in STZ-induced diabetic mice. In conclusion, our data for the first time demonstrate a calpain/PTP1B/VEGFR2 negative feedback loop in the regulation of VEGF-induced angiogenesis. Modulation of local PTP1B and/or calpain activities may prove beneficial in the treatment of impaired wound healing in diabetes. PMID:27872190

Crystal structures of (Z-5-[2-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl-1-(3,5-dimethoxyphenylethenyl]-1H-tetrazole and (Z-5-[2-(benzo[b]thiophen-3-yl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylethenyl]-1H-tetrazole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narsimha Reddy Penthala

2016-05-01

Full Text Available (Z-5-[2-(Benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl-1-(3,5-dimethoxyphenylethenyl]-1H-tetrazole methanol monosolvate, C19H16N4O2S·CH3OH, (I, was prepared by the reaction of (Z-3-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl-2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenylacrylonitrile with tributyltin azide via a [3 + 2]cycloaddition azide condensation reaction. The structurally related compound (Z-5-[2-(benzo[b]thiophen-3-yl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylethenyl]-1H-tetrazole, C20H18N4O3S, (II, was prepared by the reaction of (Z-3-(benzo[b]thiophen-3-yl-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacrylonitrile with tributyltin azide. Crystals of (I have two molecules in the asymmetric unit (Z′ = 2, whereas crystals of (II have Z′ = 1. The benzothiophene rings in (I and (II are almost planar, with r.m.s deviations from the mean plane of 0.0084 and 0.0037 Å in (I and 0.0084 Å in (II. The tetrazole rings of (I and (II make dihedral angles with the mean planes of the benzothiophene rings of 88.81 (13 and 88.92 (13° in (I, and 60.94 (6° in (II. The dimethoxyphenyl and trimethoxyphenyl rings make dihedral angles with the benzothiophene rings of 23.91 (8 and 24.99 (8° in (I and 84.47 (3° in (II. In both structures, molecules are linked into hydrogen-bonded chains. In (I, these chains involve both tetrazole and methanol, and are parallel to the b axis. In (II, molecules are linked into chains parallel to the a axis by N—H...N hydrogen bonds between adjacent tetrazole rings.

26 CFR 1.475(b)-2 - Exemptions-identification requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... requirements. (a) Identification of the basis for exemption. An identification of a security as exempt from mark to market does not satisfy section 475(b)(2) if it fails to state whether the security is described in— (1) Either of the first two subparagraphs of section 475(b)(1) (identifying a security as held...

EBI2 overexpression in mice leads to B1 B cell expansion and chronic lymphocytic leukemia-(CLL)-like B cell malignancies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niss Arfelt, Kristine; Barington, Line; Benned-Jensen, Tau

2017-01-01

-targeted expression of human EBI2 in mice reduces germinal center-dependent immune responses, reduces total IgM and IgG levels, and leads to increased proliferation and upregulation of cellular oncogenes. Furthermore, hEBI2 overexpression leads to an abnormally expanded CD5+ B1a B cell subset present as early as 4......Human and mouse chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) develop from CD5+ B cells that in mice and macaques are known to define the distinct B1a B cell lineage. B1a cells are characterized by lack of germinal center development and the B1a cell population is increased in mice with reduced germinal...... cells towards the extrafollicular area, whereas downregulation is essential for germinal center formation. We therefore speculated whether increased expression of EBI2 would lead to an expanded B1 cell subset and, ultimately, progression to chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Here we demonstrate that B cell...

Genetic variations of VDR/NR1I1 encoding vitamin D receptor in a Japanese population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ukaji, Maho; Saito, Yoshiro; Fukushima-Uesaka, Hiromi; Maekawa, Keiko; Katori, Noriko; Kaniwa, Nahoko; Yoshida, Teruhiko; Nokihara, Hiroshi; Sekine, Ikuo; Kunitoh, Hideo; Ohe, Yuichiro; Yamamoto, Noboru; Tamura, Tomohide; Saijo, Nagahiro; Sawada, Jun-ichi

2007-12-01

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a transcriptional factor responsive to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and lithocholic acid, and induces expression of drug metabolizing enzymes CYP3A4, CYP2B6 and CYP2C9. In this study, the promoter regions, 14 exons (including 6 exon 1's) and their flanking introns of VDR were comprehensively screened for genetic variations in 107 Japanese subjects. Sixty-one genetic variations including 25 novel ones were found: 9 in the 5'-flanking region, 2 in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR), 7 in the coding exons (5 synonymous and 2 nonsynonymous variations), 12 in the 3'-UTR, 19 in the introns between the exon 1's, and 12 in introns 2 to 8. Of these, one novel nonsynonymous variation, 154A>G (Met52Val), was detected with an allele frequency of 0.005. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that increase VDR expression or activity, -29649G>A, 2T>C and 1592((*)308)C>A tagging linked variations in the 3'-UTR, were detected at 0.430, 0.636, and 0.318 allele frequencies, respectively. Another SNP, -26930A>G, with reduced VDR transcription was found at a 0.028 frequency. These findings would be useful for association studies on VDR variations in Japanese.

Clinical and molecular consequences of exon 78 deletion in DMD gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Traverso, Monica; Assereto, Stefania; Baratto, Serena; Iacomino, Michele; Pedemonte, Marina; Diana, Maria Cristina; Ferretti, Marta; Broda, Paolo; Minetti, Carlo; Gazzerro, Elisabetta; Madia, Francesca; Bruno, Claudio; Zara, Federico; Fiorillo, Chiara

2018-03-19

We present a 13-year-old patient with persistent increase of serum Creatine Kinase (CK) and myalgia after exertion. Skeletal muscle biopsy showed marked reduction of dystrophin expression leading to genetic analysis of DMD gene by MLPA, which detected a single deletion of exon 78. To the best of our knowledge, DMD exon 78 deletion has never been described in literature and, according to prediction, it should lead to loss of reading frame in the dystrophin gene. To further assess the actual effect of exon 78 deletion, we analysed cDNA from muscle mRNA. This analysis confirmed the absence of 32 bp of exon 78. Exclusion of exon 78 changes the open reading frame of exon 79 and generate a downstream stop codon, producing a dystrophin protein of 3703 amino acids instead of 3685 amino acids. Albeit loss of reading frame usually leads to protein degradation and severe phenotype, in this case, we demonstrated that deletion of DMD exon 78 can be associated with a functional protein able to bind DGC complex and a very mild phenotype. This study adds a novel deletion in DMD gene in human and helps to define the compliance between maintaining/disrupting the reading frame and clinical form of the disease.

Evaluation of FlaB1, FlaB2, FlaB3, and Tp0463 of Treponema pallidum for serodiagnosis of syphilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chuanhao; Xiao, Jinhong; Xie, Yafeng; Xiao, Yongjian; Wang, Chuan; Kuang, Xingxing; Xu, Man; Li, Ranhui; Zeng, Tiebing; Liu, Shuanquan; Yu, Jian; Zhao, Feijun; Wu, Yimou

2016-02-01

Syphilis is a multistage disease caused by the invasive spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, and accurate diagnosis is important for the prevention and treatment of syphilis. Here, to identify appropriate diagnostic antigens for serodiagnosis of syphilis, 6 recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified, including flagellins (FlaB1 [Tp0868], FlaB2 [Tp0792], and FlaB3 [Tp0870]), Tp0463, Tp0751, and Tp1038. The sensitivities were determined by screening sera from individuals with primary (n=82), secondary (n=115), latent (n=105), and congenital (n=65) syphilis. The specificities were determined by screening sera from uninfected controls (n=30) and potentially cross-reactive infections including Lyme disease (n=30), leptospirosis (n=5), and hepatitis B (n=30). Our data showed that FlaB1, FlaB2, FlaB3, Tp0463, and Tp1038 exhibited higher overall sensitivities and specificities for detecting IgG antibody, with 95.4% and 98.9%, 92.6% and 95.8%, 95.1% and 95.8%, 92.6% and 97.9%, and 95.9% and 98.9%, respectively. In contrast, Tp0751 demonstrated only an overall sensitivity of 39.2%. For comparison, the sensitivity and specificity of Architect Syphilis TP were determined to be 98.1% and 93.7%, respectively. In addition, FlaB1, FlaB2, FlaB3, and Tp0463 demonstrated excellent performance for detecting IgM antibody in primary and congenital syphilis, with sensitivities of 76.8% and 83.1%, 72.0% and 87.7%, 74.4% and 89.2%, and 64.6% and 75.3%, respectively. These results indicate that FlaB1, FlaB2, FlaB3, and Tp0463 could be as novel diagnostic candidates for serodiagnosis of syphilis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.