Mapping the TYR gene reveals novel and previously reported variants in Eastern Indian patients highlighting preponderance of the same changes in multiple unrelated ethnicities

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of congenital autosomal recessive disorders with seven known subtypes (OCA1–OCA7) characterized by loss or absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes. OCA1, caused by pathogenic variations in the tyrosinase (TYR) gene, has been documented to be the most prevalent subtype across the world including India. In the present study, we recruited 53 OCA-affected individuals from 45 unrelated families belonging to 20 different marriage groups/ethnicities of 15 different districts of West Bengal. We took a targeted sequencing-based approach to find the causal variations in the TYR gene. We report here identification of two novel potentially pathogenic variations [NM_000372.4:c.614C>T, NP_000363.1:p.(Pro205Leu), and NM_000372.4:c.1036+1=/G>T], one novel synonymous TYR variant [NM_000372.4:c.204=/A>G, NP_000363.1:p.(Gln68=)], two pathogenic variations documented for the first time in Indian OCA cases [NM_000372.4:c.1147G>A, NP_000363.1:p.(Asp383Asn), and NM_000372.4:c.585G>A, NP_000363.1:p.(Trp195*)], along with nine previously reported pathogenic variants in 36 out of 53 (∼68%) patients recruited. We report common haplotype backgrounds for the two most prevalent variations [NM_000372.4:c.124G>A, NM_000372.4:c.832C>T] in cases belonging to different marriage/ethnic groups, suggesting a possible founder effect. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive genetic study on OCA1 from India, firmly establishing OCA1 as the commonest form of albinism in this part of the world.     

眼皮肤白化病Ⅰ型产前基因诊断二例

目的对生育过眼皮肤白化病（oculocutaneous albinism,OCA）患儿的2个家系进行基因诊断分型,并在此基础上提供产前基因诊断。方法采用PCR扩增先证者OCA 1型疾病相关基因TYR的所有5个编码外显子,PCR产物直接测序,在确定致病突变的基础上对及家系成员进行综合分析。结果 2个OCA先证者均携带TYR基因复合杂合突变,确定2例先证者均为OCA1型患者。TYR基因共检测到3种突变：c.71G〉A,c.896G〉A和c.929ins C。产前诊断：第1个家系提示胎儿基因型与先证者一致,家属选择终止妊娠;第2个家系中胎儿为TYR基因野生型携带者,继续妊娠至足月分娩,新生儿随访正常。结论利用基因检测可为眼皮肤白化病患者提供确切的临床分型,并在此基础上提供有效的产前基因诊断。     

慢性心理应激对小鼠血清中TYR,SOD和MDA的影响

目的通过对小鼠进行慢性心理应激实验,为进一步研究慢性心理应激对白癜风、白发等色素减退性疾病的影响及可能的机制提供参考。方法 24只C57BL/6雄性黑发鼠随机分为心理应激组(8只)、正常对照组(8只)、电击组(8只)。电击组小鼠接受电击;心理应激组小鼠旁观电击组鼠遭受电击过程,通过视觉、听觉、嗅觉等产生心理应激。每天应激持续30min,连续14d。结果心理应激组中血清酪氨酸酶(TYR)活性显著低于对照组(P<0.05),血清超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论慢性心理应激可导致体内TYR活性降低,SOD活性、MDA含量增高,影响机体的色素合成功能,可能参与白癜风、白发等色素减退性疾病的发生过程,是导致该类疾病发生的可能作用机制。     

三例眼皮肤白化病患者TYR和P基因的突变分析

目的 分析眼皮肤白化病(oculocutaneom albinism,OCA)患者酪氨酸酶(tyrosinase,TYR)基因和P基因的基因突变.方法 应用聚合酶链反应(polymerase chain reaction ,PCR)和变性高效液相色谱(de-naturing high-perfomanee liquia chromatography,DHPLC)技术对3例患者的眼皮肤白化病Ⅰ、Ⅱ型相关基因(TYR和P基因)的外显子进行突变检测,并对DHPLC检出的突变样本进行测序和限制性内切酶分析以验证该突变.针对未见报道的新突变,筛查100名表型正常的无关个体,排除多态的可能.结果 在3例患者中检测出两种P基因突变,未检测到TYR基因突变.其中,患者1的P基因第13外显子发生杂合突变T450M;患者2的P基因发生两个杂合突变,分别是第13外显子T450M和第23外显子G775R;患者3的P基因第23外显子发生杂合突变G775R.P基因第13外显子限制性内切酶分析显示,患者1、2均出现杂合突变T450M导致的Oli I酶切位点部分消失,100名表型正常的无关个体未检出该突变;经检索,T450M为一未见报道的新突变.结论 联合应用PCR、DHPLC、DNA测序和限制性内切酶分析的方法可有效的对白化病进行基因诊断.     

眼皮肤白化病1型的遗传学机制的研究进展

眼皮肤白化病是由于黑色素合成相关基因突变导致眼、皮肤、毛发黑色素沉着减少或缺乏引起的一类常染色体隐形遗传疾病的总称。根据突变基因的不同,眼皮肤白化病可分为4种不同的类型,其中眼皮肤白化病1型是由于TYR基因突变导致酪氨酸酶功能低下或缺乏引起的眼皮肤白化病类型,国内外对此型的发病机制研究较全面,文章就眼皮肤白化病1型的遗传学机制研究进展做一综述。     

单管等位基因特异性扩增法同时测定多重单核苷酸多态性

目的:建立了一种单管等位基因特异性扩增法同时测定多重单核苷酸多态性(SNP).方法:以TYP基因外显子1上的3个SNP位点(71G>A、425A>T和758G>A)为例,首先采用PCR预扩增得一段含所有待测SNP位点的长片段;然后用限制性内切酶将其消化成短片段,在连接酶的作用下与设计的DNA适配器相连;以此连接产物为模板,在单个PCR管中加入一种适配器特异性通用引物和所有等位基因特异性引物进行PCR扩增;最后用琼脂糖凝胶电泳法分离检测PCR扩增产物,并根据扩增片段的大小判断SNP的类型.结果:采用该法成功测定了30名健康中国人的TYP基因中的3个SNP位点,与限制性片段长度多态性法(RFLP)测定结果完全一致.结论:该方法特异性高、结果准确、检测成本低,可用于同时测定多个SNP位点.     

Detection of 53 novel DNA variations within the tyrosinase gene and accumulation of mutations in 17 patients with albinism

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in man may be caused by mutations within the tyrosinase gene (TYR) resulting in OCA1. Analysing patients with recessively inherited albinism we found DNA variations in 82 unrelated individuals. 53 out of 78 mutations and polymorphisms revealed by this study are not published previously. The changes include 68 nucleotide substitutions resulting in amino acid changes, stop mutations and polymorphisms as well as four nucleotide insertions and six deletions. Furthermore, we found an accumulation of three to five mutations in 17 patients with OCA1.     

Interpreting missense variants: comparing computational methods in human disease genes CDKN2A, MLH1, MSH2, MECP2, and tyrosinase (TYR)

The human genome contains frequent single-basepair variants that may or may not cause genetic disease. To characterize benign vs. pathogenic missense variants, numerous computational algorithms have been developed based on comparative sequence and/or protein structure analysis. We compared computational methods that use evolutionary conservation alone, amino acid (AA) change alone, and a combination of conservation and AA change in predicting the consequences of 254 missense variants in the CDKN2A (n = 92), MLH1 (n = 28), MSH2 (n = 14), MECP2 (n = 30), and tyrosinase (TYR) (n = 90) genes. Variants were validated as either neutral or deleterious by curated locus-specific mutation databases and published functional data. All methods that use evolutionary sequence analysis have comparable overall prediction accuracy (72.9-82.0%). Mutations at codons where the AA is absolutely conserved over a sufficient evolutionary distance (about one-third of variants) had a 91.6 to 96.8% likelihood of being deleterious. Three algorithms (SIFT, PolyPhen, and A-GVGD) that differentiate one variant from another at a given codon did not significantly improve predictive value over conservation score alone using the BLOSUM62 matrix. However, when all four methods were in agreement (62.7% of variants), predictive value improved to 88.1%. These results confirm a high predictive value for methods that use evolutionary sequence conservation, with or without considering protein structural change, to predict the clinical consequences of missense variants. The methods can be generalized across genes that cause different types of genetic disease. The results support the clinical use of computational methods as one tool to help interpret missense variants in genes associated with human genetic disease.     

Tetrahydroisoquinolinecarboxylic acids and catecholamine metabolism in adrenal medulla explants

In a study of the relationship of the tetrahydroisoquinolinecarboxylic acids (TIQCAs) to catecholamine metabolism, we have investigated their effects on cultured rat adrenal medulla explants. Medullae were incubated in medium containing norlaudanosolinecarboxylic acid (NLCA) or 3′,4′-deoxynorlaudanosolinecarboxylic acid (DNLCA) (0.5 mM) in the presence and absence of [³H]tyrosine. By paired-ion reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography, tissue epinephrine (EPI), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and TIQCA were resolved. Endogenous concentrations were measured with electrochemical detection, and radioactivity was assayed by collecting appropriate effluents. Tissue levels of the TIQCAs reached saturating levels of 0.36 mM by about 20 hr. DNLCA elicited a significant decrease (60%) in endogenous DA, NE and EPI at 40 hr, whereas only DA was depressed at 30 hr. NLCA had little effect after 30 or 40 hr. When tissues were maintained in the presence of α-methyltyrosine (0.5 mM) for 40 hr, catecholamine levels were depressed to an extent similar to that observed with DNLCA. Incubation with [³H]tyrosine in the presence of TIQCAs revealed inhibition of tyrosine uptake and suggested a reduction in the rate of catecholamine synthesis. These results are consistent with previous data on the inhibition of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase by DNLCA in vitro.