X;14 translocation:an exception to the critical region hypothesis on the human X-chromosome

We report on a family in which an X;14 translocation has been identified. A phenotypically normal female, carrier of an apparently balanced X-autosome translocation t(X;14)(q22;q24.3) in all her cells and a small interstitial deletion of band 15q112 in some of her cells had 2 offspring. She represents a fifth case of balanced X-autosome translocation with the break point inside the postulated critical region of Xq(q13 q26) associated with fertility. The break point in this case is located in Xq22, the same band as in four previously published exceptional cases. In most of her cells, the normal X was inactivated. Her daughter, the proposita, has an unbalanced karyotype 46,X,der(X), t(X;14)(q22;q24.3)mat, del(15)(q11.1q11.3)mat. She is mildly retarded and has some Prader-Willi syndrome manifestations. She has two normal 14 chromosomes, der(X), and deletion 15q11.2. Her clinical abnormalities probably could be attributed to the deletions 15q and Xq rather than 14q duplication. In most of cells, der(X) was inactivated. We assume that spreading of inactivation was extended to the 14q segment on the derivative X. Late replication and gene dose studies support this view. Another daughter, who inherited the balanced X;14 translocation and not deletion 15 chromosome, is phenotypically normal.     

Familial translocation t(10;14) (q26.1;q32.3): report of three offspring with 10q deletion and 14q duplication

We describe two brothers and a cousin with common clinical features, including mild mental retardation, motor delays, hypotonia with truncal ataxia, esotropia, and mild facial and hand dysmorphia. The initial routine chromosome study failed to detect any abnormality in the proband. Based on a high index of clinical suspicion, high-resolution chromosome studies were performed on the proband's parents. A small reciprocal translocation t(10;14) (q26.1;q32.3) was detected in the father. The breakpoint on the derivative chromosome 14 was further placed telomeric to the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene cluster at the band q32.33 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Studies of the proband and two affected paternal cousins revealed that each had inherited the same derivative chromosome 10 from their carrier parents. This unbalanced karyotype resulted from an adjacent-1 segregation of the 10;14 translocation.     

Spreading of inactivation in an (X;14) translocation

In the KOP translocation, t(X;14) (q13; q32), virtually the entire long arm of the X has been translocated to the end of the long arm of chromosome 14. Meiotic secondary nondisjunction in a female balanced carrier of the translocation has led to a son with two der(14) or 14-X chromosomes. The normal X chromosome is late replicating in the mother. One of the two 14-X Chromosomes is late replicating in the son, with heavy terminal labeling of all but the centromeric end of the chromosome. This suggests that genetic inactivation has spread from the Xq segment of the translocation chromosome to at least two thirds of the segment derived from chromosome 14, and that the remaining proximal segment of chromosome 14 is possibly still genetically active. These findings provide an explanation for the phenotype: Klinefelter syndrome plus a few mild malformations that are sometimes seen in this syndrome but are also seen in duplication of the proximal portion of chromosome 14. Although the proband has a duplication of virtually an entire chromosome 14, 14(pter→q32), the phenotypic effect of the autosomal duplication has been mostly nullified by the spread of inactivation.     

Duplication of 7p: Further delineation of the phenotype and restriction of the critical region to the distal part of the short arm

We report on a patient with duplication of 7p15→pter and review the literature. Patients with partial duplication of the distal 7p, including only the distal segment 7p15→pter, have a syndrome comparable to that of patients with a larger or complete duplication of 7p. This suggests that the critical region for the dup(7p) phenotype is restricted to 7p15→pter. The complete clinical phenotype of dup(7)(p15→pter) includes mental retardation, skull anomalies, large anterior fontanel, cardiovascular defects, joint dislocation and contraction, and gastrointestinal and genital defects. Recognition of the clinical spectrum in patients with a smaller duplication of 7p, and the assignment of this critical region, should prove valuable for accurate counseling, prediction of outcome, and further gene mapping. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Unbalanced translocation 46,xy,−15,+der(22)t(15;22)(q13;q11)pat: Case report and review of the literature

We present a boy with a rare unbalanced translocation 46,XY,?15,+der(22),t(15;22)(q13;q11) pat. Previous reports of similar chromosome findings mention only the Prader-Willi phenotype. At birth, his manifestations included severe hypotonia and lethargy, (typical of deletion of 15pter→q13); hypertelorism, down-slanting small palpebral fissures, preauricular tags, long philtrum (typical of duplication of 22pter→q11); severe laryngotracheo-malacia, and proximal implantation of the thumb. In a review of the literature on chromosome abnormalities involving duplication of 22q11 the associated clinical phenotype consists of mild mental retardation, microcephaly, hypotonia, hypertelorism, down-slanting palpebral fissures, a long philtrum, cleft or highly arched palate, and ear abnormalities. Preauricular pits or tags are common. Cardiovascular defects, renal and genital problems and dislocated hips are frequently present. Anal atresia and colobomata are mainly seen in cat-eye syndrome, the phenotype associated with idic 22q11. Our findings indicate that patients with unbalanced t(15;22) can have manifestations of the dup 22q11, in addition to the previously reported Prader-Willi phenotype, even if the duplicated segment is small. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Unique unbalanced X;X translocation (Xq22;p11.2) in a woman with primary amenorrhea but without Ullrich-Turner syndrome

The index case was a Maori bushman who presented with severe congenital spinal stenosis and manifestations of distal arthrogryposis. His offspring and 8 of his 9 sibs and most of their offspring were interviewed and examined. Of those examined 7 individuals with definite and 2 with probable distal arthrogryposis were identified in 4 of the families. A tenth relative with distal arthrogryposis and contractural arachnodactyly had died. There was marked variability in the severity and nature of manifestations with 2 having severe hand and foot involvement in addition to craniofacial changes compatible with a diagnosis of Freeman-Sheldon syndrome. Other apparently unrelated hereditary disorders in the family included ectrodactyly, biliary atresia, and Brachmann-de Lange syndrome. This is the first report of arthrogryposis in a Maori family. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Inheritance and phenotypic expression of a t(7;9)(q36;q34)mat

We describe a subtle familial chromosome rearrangement which involves 7q36 and 9q34. The clinical manifestations of 3 apparently balanced individuals with presumed identical translocation breakpoints are presented. In addition, the phenotypes of 2 cytogenetically unbalanced sibs in the same nuclear family are compared.     

Trisomy rescue by postzygotic unbalanced (X;14) translocation in a girl with dysmorphic features

In this report we present the clinical features and molecular and cytogenetic findings in a female with partial trisomy 14q. Molecular and cytogenetic studies allowed us to determine that the extra 14q material (of paternal origin) was translocated postzygotically onto the maternal X chromosome. Consequently, only the derivative X chromosome was inactivated, although inactivation apparently did not spread over the entire chromosome 14q. This partial inactivation makes the present case unusual, giving rise to phenotypic features absent in other patients with partial trisomy 14q, typically restricted to the distal part of the chromosome.     

An unusual case of X-15 translocation: evidence for the presence of an ''activator'' region on Xpter of Man

A case of an X-autosome rearrangement is presented in which part of the Xpter is deleted but the STS and MIC2X loci are retained. The normal X is late replicating in 97/100 lymphocytes and 50/50 fibroblasts examined. It is assumed that the initial X-inactivation in the embryo is random, but that cells with the rearranged X inactivated are selected against because inactivation spreads into the attached autosomal segment. This spreading, through the normally active STS locus, is hypothesised to be caused by deletion of a part of Xpter which is critical for the maintenance of activity of the Xpter region as a whole.     

Bends in human mitotic metaphase chromosomes revisited: 15q11‐13 is the most frequent non‐random autosomal bend in blood cultures

We have investigated the preferential bending of some chromosome sites in blood cultures from normal and chromosomally abnormal subjects. A total of 2,262 centromeric and 2,718 non‐centromeric bends were recorded, and 69 non‐centromeric sites were found not to bend at random. 15q11‐13 bending was found to be the most frequent non‐random autosomal bend. Bends on chromosomes may be remnants of a folded chromosome state in the nucleus, and may facilitate the preferential involvement of some chromosomal bands in structural reorganizations such as the isoacentric fragments, or contribute to the high frequency of interstitial deletions and isodicentric inversion duplications involving the 15q11‐13 region. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

PLP1 duplication at the breakpoint regions of an apparently balanced t(X;22) translocation causes Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease in a girl

Fonseca ACS, Bonaldi A, Costa SS, Freitas MR, Kok F, Vianna‐Morgante AM. PLP1 duplication at the breakpoint regions of an apparently balanced t(X;22) translocation causes Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease in a girl. PLP1 (proteolipid protein1 gene) mutations cause Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD), characterized by hypomyelination of the central nervous system, and affecting almost exclusively males. We report on a girl with classical PMD who carries an apparently balanced translocation t(X;22)(q22;q13). By applying array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (a‐CGH), we detected duplications at 22q13 and Xq22, encompassing 487–546 kb and 543–611 kb, respectively. The additional copies were mapped by fluorescent in situ hybridization to the breakpoint regions, on the derivative X chromosome (22q13 duplicated segment) and on the derivative 22 chromosome (Xq22 duplicated segment). One of the 14 duplicated X‐chromosome genes was PLP1.The normal X chromosome was the inactive one in the majority of peripheral blood leukocytes, a pattern of inactivation that makes cells functionally balanced for the translocated segments. However, a copy of the PLP1 gene on the derivative chromosome 22, in addition to those on the X and der(X) chromosomes, resulted in two active copies of the gene, irrespective of the X‐inactivation pattern, thus causing PMD. This t(X;22) is the first constitutional human apparently balanced translocation with duplications from both involved chromosomes detected at the breakpoint regions.     

3q29 microduplication syndrome: Description of two new cases and delineation of the minimal critical region

Heterogeneous clinical and neuropsychological features, such as intellectual disability, developmental and language delay, hypotonia, and, to a lesser extent, microcephaly that is present in about the half of the reported patients, characterize the 3q29 microduplication syndrome with usually a milder phenotype compared with the corresponding 3q29 microdeletion syndrome. The duplications described so far range from 2.3?Mb to 1.6?Mb, spanning from TFRC to BDH1 genes. Here we report on two patients with overlapping interstitial duplications of the 3q29 region differing in size. Patient 1 harboured a common-seized 3q29 microduplication spanning ～1.6?Mb, while patient 2 carried a very small 3q29 microduplication of 448.8?Kb encompassing only two genes, DLG1 and BDH1. Both patients presented clinical characteristics similar to those reported in the literature in 3q29 microduplication syndrome. Interestingly, heterotopic gray matter nodules were found along the right lateral ventricle on brain MRI in patient 1, thus expanding the neuroradiological phenotype in 3q29 microduplication syndrome, while patient 2 allowed us to define with more precision the smallest region of overlap (SRO). Gene content analysis of the duplicated region suggests that gain-of-dosage of DLG1 and BDH1 may be a good candidate for the main clinical features of this syndrome.     

Monosomy 10qter due to a balanced familial translocation: t(10;16)(q25.2;q24)

A third case of monosomy 10q is described. The infant was severely malformed and died at day 9 post partum. The clinical symptoms are compatible with the two previous cases.     

Deletion involving D15S113 in a mother and son without Angelman syndrome: Refinement of the Angelman syndrome critical deletion region

Deletions of 15q11-q13 typically result in Angelman syndrome when inherited from the mother and Prader-Willi syndrome when inherited from the father. The critical deletion region for Angelman syndrome has recently been restricted by a report of an Angelman syndrome patient with a deletion spanning less than 200 kb around the D15S113 locus. We report here on a mother and son with a deletion of chromosome 15 that includes the D15S113 locus. The son has mild to moderate mental retardation and minor anomalies, while the mother has a borderline intellectual deficit and slightly downslanting palpebral fissures. Neither patient has the seizures, excessive laughter and hand clapping, ataxia or the facial anomalies which are characteristic of Angelman syndrome. The proximal boundary of the deletion in our patients lies between the D15S10 and the D15S113 loci. Our patients do not have Angelman syndrome, despite the deletion of the D15S113 marker. This suggests that the Angelman syndrome critical deletion region is now defined as the overlap between the deletion found in the previously reported Angelman syndrome patient and the region that is intact in our patients. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Partial trisomy 3q due to a de novo translocation t(X;3) (p21;q12)

A patient with several congenital malformations, principally in the face, cardiovascular system and genitalia, was found to have the karyotype 46 ,X,der(X),t,X;3)(Xqter← p21::3ql2-←3qter). A comparison of the clinical and cytogenetical findings with similar cases in the literature led to the conclusion that a partial trisomy 3q is the most likely cause for the symptoms in this patient.     

20‐Mb duplication of chromosome 9p in a girl with minimal physical findings and normal IQ: Narrowing of the 9p duplication critical region to 6 Mb

We studied the case of a girl with a partial 9p duplication, dup(9)(p22.1 → p13.1). Molecular cytogenetics studies defined the chromosome 9 rearrangement as a direct duplication of 20 Mb from D9S1213 to D9S52. Microsatellite analysis demonstrated the presence of a double dosage of the paternal alleles and demonstrated that the duplication occurred between sister chromatids. The patient's phenotype was almost normal, with a few minor anomalies (dolichocephaly, crowded teeth, high arched palate) and normal IQ. The breakpoint's location in this patient and previously reported cases suggest that the critical region for the 9p duplication syndrome lies within a 6‐Mb portion of chromosome 9p22 between markers D9S267 and D9S1213. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Partial monosomy of chromosome 1p36.3: Characterization of the critical region and delineation of a syndrome

We describe 5 patients ranging in age from 3 to 47 years, with karyotypic abnormalities resulting in monosomy for portion of 1p36.3, microcephaly, mental retardation, prominent forehead, deep-set eyes, depressed nasal bridge, flat midface, relative prognathism, and abnormal ears. Four patients have small hands and feet. All exhibited selfabusive behavior. Additional findings in some of the patients include brain anomalies, optic atrophy, hearing loss and skeletal deformities. The breakpoints within chromosome 1 were designated at 1p36.31 (3 cases), 1p36.32 (1 case) and 1p36.33 (1 case), Thus, the smallest region of deletion overlap is 1p36.33→1pter. Detection of the abnormal 1 relied on high resolution G-band analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) utilizing a DNA probe (Oncor D1Z2) containing the repetitive sequences in distal 1p36, confirmed a deletion of one 1 homologue in all 5 cases. The abnormal 1 resulted from a de novo deletion in only one patient. The remaining patients were either confirmed (3 cases) or suspected (1 case) to have unbalanced translocations. Despite the additional genetic imbalance present in these four cases, monosomy of 1p36.33 appears to be responsible for a specific clinical phenotype. Characterization of this phenotype should assist in the clinical diagnosis of this chromosome abnormality. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.