Dominant Mutation (dominant + mutation)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Life Sciences


Selected Abstracts


A novel nonsense mutation in the EYA1 gene associated with branchio-oto-renal/branchiootic syndrome in an Afrikaner kindred

CLINICAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2006
JC Clarke
Branchio-oto-renal (BOR) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the associations of hearing loss, branchial arch defects and renal anomalies. Branchiootic (BO) syndrome is a related disorder that presents without the highly variable characteristic renal anomalies of BOR syndrome. Dominant mutations in the human homologue of the Drosophila eyes absent gene (EYA1) are frequently the cause of both BOR and BO syndromes. We report a South African family of Afrikaner descent with affected individuals presenting with pre-auricular abnormalities and either hearing loss or bilateral absence of the kidneys. Genetic analysis of the pedigree detected a novel EYA1 heterozygous nonsense mutation in affected family members but not in unaffected family members or a random DNA panel. Through mutational analysis, we conclude that this particular mutation is the cause of BOR/BO syndrome in this family as a result of a truncation of the EYA1 protein that ablates the critical EYA homologous region. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of BOR/BO syndrome reported in Africa or in those of the Afrikaner descent. [source]


The spread of apomixis and its effect on resident genetic variation

JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
S. ADOLFSSON
Abstract In a simulation model we investigated how much of the initial genetic variation that is retained in a population after a dominant mutation has brought apomixis to fixation in it. A marker allele associated with the apomixis mutation is generally retained after the fixation of apomixis, particularly if the two alleles are closely linked. The spread of asexuality, however, normally leads to almost no loss of genetic variation, neither with respect to cytotypes nor with respect to genotypes. This holds for large populations and apomixis mutants with strong pollen production. In smaller populations, and with apomicts with reduced pollen production, the outcome is more variable, ranging from no genetic variation retained to only weakly reduced variability compared with the initial state. These results help explain the high genetic variability in many apomicts. They also imply that natural selection will have many genotypes to act on even after the spread of apomixis. [source]


A study of inherited short tail and taillessness in Pembroke Welsh corgi

JOURNAL OF SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE, Issue 5 2008
A. Indrebř
Objectives: To study whether natural short tail in adult Pembroke Welsh corgi is associated with congenital spinal defects. To report anatomical defects in two newborn tailless puppies from short-tailed parents, and to check whether they were homozygous for the dominant mutation in the T-gene (C295G). Methods: The vertebral column of 19 adult dogs with natural short tail, from short-tail×long-tail crossings, was radiographically examined. Two tailless puppies were radiographed and submitted for necropsy. Samples from the puppies, their parents and five siblings were analysed for the mutation of the T-gene. Results: No congenital spinal defects were diagnosed in any of the short-tailed dogs. The tailless puppies had anorectal atresia, had multiple spinal defects and were homozygous for the mutation in the T-gene. Clinical Significance: As tail docking is forbidden in many countries, breeding Pembroke Welsh corgis with natural short tail is becoming increasingly common. Previous studies indicated that the mutation in homozygotes is lethal in early fetal life. It is of clinical significance that natural short tail is probably not associated with congenital spinal defects, as is known from studies of other species, and that homozygotes for this mutation with serious anatomical defects may be born. [source]


Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome: oral and craniofacial phenotypes

ORAL DISEASES, Issue 3 2009
DL Domingo
Objective:, Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare early-onset accelerated senescence syndrome. In HGPS, a recently identified de novo dominant mutation of the lamin A gene (LMNA) produces abnormal lamin A, resulting in compromised nuclear membrane integrity. Clinical features include sclerotic skin, cardiovascular and bone abnormalities, and marked growth retardation. Craniofacial features include ,bird-like' facies, alopecia, craniofacial disproportion, and dental crowding. Our prospective study describes dental, oral soft tissue, and craniofacial bone features in HGPS. Methods:, Fifteen patients with confirmed p.G608G LMNA mutation (1,17 years, seven males, eight females) received comprehensive oral evaluations. Anomalies of oral soft tissue, gnathic bones, and dentition were identified. Results:, Radiographic findings included hypodontia (n = 7), dysmorphic teeth (n = 5), steep mandibular angles (n = 11), and thin basal bone (n = 11). Soft tissue findings included ogival palatal arch (n = 8), median sagittal palatal fissure (n = 7), and ankyloglossia (n = 7). Calculated dental ages (9 months to 11 years 2 months) were significantly lower than chronological ages (1 year 6 months to 17 years 8 months) (P = 0.002). Eleven children manifested a shorter mandibular body, anterior/posterior cranial base and ramus, but a larger gonial angle, compared to age/gender/race norms. Conclusion:, Novel oral-craniofacial phenotypes and quantification of previously reported features are presented. Our findings expand the HGPS phenotype and provide additional insight into the complex pathogenesis of HGPS. [source]


Expression patterns of low temperature responsive genes in a dominant ABA-less-sensitive mutant line of common wheat

PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 4 2006
Fuminori Kobayashi
Abscisic acid (ABA) plays important role in mediating stress responses and in acquiring desiccation tolerance and dormancy of plant seeds. To study roles of ABA in cold acclimation and freezing tolerance in wheat, expression profiles of Cor/Lea and their putative transcription factor (TF) genes were analysed using a dominant mutation line of common wheat EH47-1 lacking seed dormancy. The mutant line was less sensitive to exogenous ABA than the original line as judged by the magnitude of ABA inhibition of seedling growth. Expression analysis of Cor/Lea and TF genes however, showed that more transcripts were present in ABA-treated seedlings of the mutant line. In developing caryopses, the same tendency was observed. The mutant line showed no changes in the cold acclimation ability, but it showed a higher level of freezing tolerance than the original line without cold acclimation. No significant differences were observed in the expression profiles of Cor/Lea and TF genes during cold acclimation between the two lines. Our results imply the presence of an unknown ABA-dependent cold responsive pathway, which enhances the basal level of freezing tolerance by a dominant mutation in EH47-1. [source]


A dominant nuclear mutation in Chlamydomonas identifies a factor controlling chloroplast mRNA stability by acting on the coding region of the atpA transcript

THE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 6 2002
Dominique Drapier
Summary We have characterized a nuclear mutation, mda1 -ncc1, that affects mRNA stability for the atpA gene cluster in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas. Unlike all nuclear mutations altering chloroplast gene expression described to date, mda1 -ncc1 is a dominant mutation that still allows accumulation of detectable amounts of atpA mRNAs. At variance with the subset of these mutations that affect mRNA stability through the 5, UTR of a single chloroplast transcript, the mutated version of MDA1 acts on the coding region of the atpA message. We discuss the action of MDA1 in relation to the unusual pattern of expression of atpA that associates particularly short lived-transcripts with a very high translational efficiency. [source]


The granulin gene family: from cancer to dementia

BIOESSAYS, Issue 11 2009
Andrew Bateman
Abstract The growth factor progranulin (PGRN) regulates cell division, survival, and migration. PGRN is an extracellular glycoprotein bearing multiple copies of the cysteine-rich granulin motif. With PGRN family members in plants and slime mold, it represents one of the most ancient of the extracellular regulatory proteins still extant in modern animals. PRGN has multiple biological roles. It contributes to the regulation of early embryogenesis, to adult tissue repair and inflammation. Elevated PGRN levels often occur in cancers, and PGRN immunotherapy inhibits the growth of hepatic cancer xenografts in mice. Recent studies have demonstrated roles for PGRN in neurobiology. An autosomal dominant mutation in GRN, the gene for PGRN, leads to neuronal atrophy in the frontal and temporal lobes, resulting in the disease frontotemporal lobar dementia. In this review we will discuss current knowledge of the multifaceted biology of PGRN. [source]


Audioprofiling identifies TECTA and GJB2 -related deafness segregating in a single extended pedigree

CLINICAL GENETICS, Issue 2 2007
NC Meyer
An audioprofile displays phenotypic data from several audiograms on a single graph that share a common genotype. In this report, we describe the application of audioprofiling to a large family in which a genome-wide screen failed to identify a deafness locus. Analysis of audiograms by audioprofiling suggested that two persons with hearing impairment had a different deafness genotype. On this basis, we reassigned affectation status and identified a p.Cys1837Arg autosomal dominant mutation in ,-tectorin segregating in all family members except two persons, who segregated autosomal recessive deafness caused by p.Val37Ile and p.Leu90Pro mutations in Connexin 26. One nuclear family in the extended pedigree segregates both dominant and recessive non-syndromic hearing loss. [source]


Protein misfolding inside cells: The case of huntingtin and Huntington's disease

IUBMB LIFE, Issue 11 2008
Danny M. Hatters
Abstract Huntington's disease is one of the several neurodegenerative diseases caused by dominant mutations that expand the number of glutamine codons within an existing poly-glutamine (polyQ) repeat sequence of a gene. An expanded polyQ sequence in the huntingtin gene is known to cause the huntingtin protein to aggregate and form intracellular inclusions as disease progresses. However, the role that polyQ-induced aggregation plays in disease is yet to be fully determined. This review focuses on key questions remaining for how the expanded polyQ sequences affect the aggregation properties of the huntingtin protein and the corresponding effects on cellular machinery. The scope includes the technical challenges that remain for rigorously assessing the effects of aggregation on the cellular machinery. © 2008 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 60(11): 724,728, 2008 [source]


Molecular alterations resulting from frameshift mutations in peripheral myelin protein 22: Implications for neuropathy severity

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2005
J.S. Johnson
Abstract Alterations in peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) expression are associated with a heterogeneous group of hereditary demyelinating peripheral neuropathies. Two mutations at glycine 94, a single guanine insertion or deletion in PMP22, result in different reading frameshifts and, consequently, an extended G94fsX222 or a truncated G94fsX110 protein, respectively. Both of these autosomal dominant mutations alter the second half of PMP22 and yet are linked to clinical phenotypes with distinct severities. The G94fsX222 is associated with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies, whereas G94fsX110 causes severe neuropathy diagnosed as Dejerine-Sottas disease or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type IA. To investigate the subcellular changes associated with the G94 frameshift mutations, we expressed epitope-tagged forms in primary rat Schwann cells. Biochemical and immunolabeling studies indicate that, unlike the wild-type protein, which is targeted for the plasma membrane, frameshift PMP22s are retained in the cell, prior to reaching the medial Golgi compartment. Similar to Wt-PMP22, both frameshift mutants are targeted for proteasomal degradation and accumulate in detergent-insoluble, ubiquitin-containing aggregates upon inhibition of this pathway. The extended frameshift PMP22 shows the ability to form spontaneous aggregates in the absence of proteasome inhibition. On the other hand, Schwann cells expressing the truncated protein proliferate at a significantly higher rate than Schwann cells expressing the wild-type or the extended PMP22. In summary, these results suggest that a greater potential for PMP22 aggregation is associated with a less severe phenotype, whereas dysregulation of Schwann cell proliferation is linked to severe neuropathy. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Probing Pineal-specific Gene Expression with Transgenic Zebrafish,

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Daisuke Kojima
The pineal gland of zebrafish (Danio rerio) contains light-sensitive photoreceptor cells and plays an important role in the neuroendocrine system. The zebrafish exorhodopsin gene encodes a pineal-specific photoreceptive protein, whose promoter region harbors a cis -acting element, pineal expression-promoting element (PIPE), directing pineal-specific gene expression. For in vivo genetic studies on PIPE-binding proteins and their regulatory mechanisms, we generated a transgenic zebrafish line, Tg(P20 -rh/P:gfp), that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the zebrafish rhodopsin promoter fused with 20 PIPE repeats. In Tg(P20 -rh/P:gfp) fish, PIPE-dependent gene expression is visualized by GFP fluorescence in the pineal gland along with PIPE-independent GFP signals in the retinal rod photoreceptors. The transgenic fish exhibit detectable and reproducible GFP fluorescence in the larval pineal gland by 5 days postfertilization. Antisense morpholino-mediated knock-down of a pineal transcription factor gene, otx5, suppresses pineal GFP expression in the transgenic line. In a pilot screen of N -ethyl- N -nitrosourea-treated fish of the GFP transgenic line, we isolated potential dominant mutations that cause attenuation of pineal GFP fluorescence with a marginal effect on the retinal GFP signal. The results suggest that the Tg(P20 -rh/P:gfp) line will be useful for detecting deficits in PIPE-dependent gene expression in the pineal gland. [source]


Sex ratio and associated risk factors for 50 congenital anomaly types: Clues for causal heterogeneity

BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 1 2004
Monica Rittler
Abstract BACKGROUND Sex ratio (SR) deviations have been reported for many congenital anomalies, but so far no satisfactory explanation for these deviations has been found. The aim of this study was to detect sex-related differences in the association between risk factors and congenital anomalies, and to relate these differences with possibly underlying causes of birth defects. METHODS Between 1982 and 1999, 1,444,646 newborn infants were examined by the Estudio Colaborativo Latino Americano de Malformaciones Congénitas (ECLAMC) network of South American maternity hospitals. Male relative risks were established for 39,425 infants with 50 selected single anomalies. Associations between male sex and risk factors were identified in nonmalformed infants. In malformed infants, sex-related risk differences were established, and the SR of these infants, with and without associated risk factors, were compared. RESULTS Infants with neural tube defects (NTDs) and intrauterine growth restriction had a lower SR than those with normal growth, while spina bifida without hydrocephaly (SB[sHy]) was the only NTD subtype without a significant female predominance. Multigravidity lowered the SR of SB(sHy) and HPP (HPP) cases. Increased paternal age inverted the SR of cleft lip (CL) with or without cleft palate (CL[P]) cases from male to female. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate etiological differences between high and low SB, a stronger relationship between multigravidity and female sex of the offspring than between multigravidity and a specific congenital anomaly, and a possible involvement of dominant mutations for CL(P), as suggested by the association with increased paternal age. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67:000,000, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Lethal autosomal recessive epidermolytic ichthyosis due to a novel donor splice-site mutation in KRT10

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
C. Covaciu
Epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI; MIM 113800), previously named bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma or epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, is a rare and clinically variable defect of cornification characterized by generalized erythema, erosions, scaling and easily breaking blisters that become less frequent later in life while hyperkeratosis increases.1 EI is caused by dominant mutations in either KRT1 or KRT10, encoding keratin 1 (K1) and keratin 10 (K10), respectively.1 Usually, mutations are missense substitutions into the highly conserved ,-helical rod domains of the proteins.2,3 However, three inbred pedigrees in which EI is transmitted as a recessive trait due to KRT10 null mutations have been described.4,6 [source]