Study of three intragenic polymorphisms in the Machado-Joseph disease gene (MJD1) in relation to genetic instability of the (CAG)n tract

Intergenerational instability is one of the most important features of the disease-associated trinucleotide expansions, leading to variation in size of the repeat among and within families, which manifests as variable age at onset and severity, and is probably the basis for the occurrence of anticipation. Several factors are known to affect the degree of instability, namely the type of repeated sequence, its initial size, the presence or absence of interruptions in the repetitive tract and the gender of the transmitting parent. A recent study demonstrated the effect of an intragenic polymorphism (C987GG/G987GG) in the Machado-Joseph disease causative gene, immediately downstream of the CAG repeat, on the intergenerational instability of the expanded repeat. Surprisingly, there was an effect not only of the specific allele in cis to the disease chromosome, but also of the allele on the normal chromosome, suggesting the existence of an interaction between the normal and expanded alleles that affects the fidelity of replication of the (CAG)n tract. This effect could be a direct effect of the polymorphism studied or, alternatively, this polymorphism could be in disequilibrium with some other flanking sequence which affects the instability of the repetitive (CAG)n tract. In order to confirm the previous results in a different population and to distinguish between a direct and indirect effect of the CGG/GGG polymorphism, we typed 70 parent-progeny pairs for which the variation in the (CAG)n length in the MJD1 gene was known, for three intragenic polymorphisms: C987GG/G987GG and two additional, newly described ones, TAA1118/TAC1118 and A669TG/G669TG. We also typed a control population of 125 individuals for the A669TG/G669TG, C987GG/G987GG and TAA1118/TAC1118 polymorphisms, in an attempt to identify any association between haplotype and (CAG)n length in normal chromosomes, suggestive of an instability-predisposing effect of the repeat-flanking sequences, which could have led to the origin of the MJD mutation in the human population. We confirmed the effect of the C987GG/G987GG polymorphism on intergenerational instability when present in trans. Our results suggest that this effect is restricted to a small region of the gene, immediately downstream of the CAG repeat, which includes this particular nucleotide substitution and the stop codon of the MJD1 cDNA, and is not a more widespread chromosomal effect. The lack of a significant association of any specific intragenic haplotype with larger CAG repeats in normal chromosomes, together with the absence of an effect of the intragenic haplotype in cis on the intergenerational instability of the expanded (CAG)n in MJD families does not indicate the existence of an instability-predisposing haplotype.     

Single sperm analysis of the CAG repeats in the gene for dentatorubral- pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA): the instability of the CAG repeats in the DRPLA gene is prominent among the CAG repeat diseases

Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is known to show the most prominent genetic anticipation among CAG repeat diseases. To investigate the mechanism underlying the meiotic instability of expanded CAG repeats in the gene for DRPLA, we determined the CAG repeat sizes of 427 single sperm from two individuals with DRPLA. The mean variance of the change in the CAG repeat size in sperm from the DRPLA patients (288.0) was larger than any variances of the CAG repeat size in sperm from patients with Machado-Joseph disease (38. 5), Huntington's disease (69.0) and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (16.3), which is consistent with the clinical observation that the genetic anticipation on the paternal transmission of DRPLA is the most prominent among CAG repeat diseases. The variance of the change in CAG repeat size was significantly different between the two DRPLA patients (F-test, P < 0.0001). However, the segregation ratio of single sperm with an expanded allele to ones with a normal allele is not statistically different ( P = 0.161) from the expected 1:1 segregation ratio, and thus segregation distortion of expanded alleles in meiosis in male patients with DRPLA was not demonstrated.      

应用重组DNA技术检测MJD1基因CAG三核苷酸重复

有的SCA3/MJD患者和大部分正常人MJD1基因CAG三核苷酸重复序列包含两个CAA和一个AAG变异,在CAG三核苷酸重复序列末尾靠近3'端方向存在GGG/CGG的多态变化,GGG一般存在于CAG重复次数较少的正常人群,而CGG多存在于SCA3/MJD患者.结论 重组DNA技术可以稳定准确、直观的检测MJD1基因的CAG三核苷酸重复次数,是诊断SCA3/MJD和分析CAG三核苷酸多态性主要的技术方法.     

Evidence for inter-generational instability in the CAG repeat in the MJD1 gene and for conserved haplotypes at flanking markers amongst Japanese and Caucasian subjects with Machado-Joseph disease

The size of the (CAG)n repeat array in the 3' end of the MJDIgene and the haplotype at a series of microsateilite markerssurrounding the MJD1 gene were examined in a large cohort ofJapanese and Caucasian subjects affected with Machado-Josephdisease (MJD). Our data provide five novel observations. First,MJD is associated with expansion of the array from the normalrange of 14–37 repeats to 68–84 repeats in mostJapanese and Caucasian subjects, but no subjects were observedwith expansions intermediate in size between those of the normaland MJD affected groups. Second, the expanded allele associatedwith MJD displays inter-generational instability, particularlyin male meloses, and this instability was associated with theclinical phenomenon of anticipation. Third, the size of theexpanded allele is not only Inversely correlated with the age-of-onsetof MJD (r=–0.738, p<0.001), but is also correlatedwith the frequency of other clinical features [e.g. pseudoexophthalmosand pyramidal signs were more frequent in subjects with largerrepeats (p<0.001 and p>0.05 respectively)]. Fourth, thedisease phenotype is significantly more severe and had an earlyage of onset (16 years) in a subject homozygous for the expandedallele, which contrasts with Huntington disease and suggeststhat the expanded allele in the MJD1 gene could exert its effecteither by a dominant negative effect (putatively excluded inHD) or by a gain of function effect as proposed for HD. Finally,Japanese and Caucasian subjects affected with MJD share haplotypesat several markers surrounding the MJD1 gene, which are uncommonin the normal Japanese and Caucasian population, and which suggeststhe existence either of common founders in these populationsor of chromosomes susceptible to pathologic expansion of theCAG repeat in the MJD1 gene.     

Characterisation of the unstable expanded CAG repeat in the MJD1 gene in four Brazilian families of Portuguese descent with Machado-Joseph disease

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder which has been shown to result, in Japanese families, from the expansion of a CAG repeat in the MJD1 gene on chromosome 14q. We show that the same molecular mechanism is responsible for MJD in four large Brazilian kindreds of Portuguese descent. The behaviour of the mutation was evaluated in 28 affected and 19 asymptomatic gene carriers. The number of repeats in the expanded alleles ranged from 66 to 77 with a strong negative correlation with age at onset (r=0·79). A mean 1·6 repeats increase from generation to generation correlated with clinical anticipation. Instability of the CAG repeat was bidirectional, with expansions as well as contractions, and was more marked in paternal transmissions. Finally, linkage disequilibrium was complete at locus D14S280 in the four Portuguese-Brazilian kindreds and four previously reported French families with the same mutation, which suggests the existence of a common founder.     

Non-Mendelian transmission at the Machado-Joseph disease locus in normal females: preferential transmission of alleles with smaller CAG repeats.

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, is a neurodegenerative disorder which is associated with a CAG repeat expansion in the MJD1 gene on chromosome 14q32.1. A recent study reported an excess of transmission of disease chromosomes relative to normal chromosomes from affected fathers, while this phenomenon was not observed in female meioses. These data were compatible with meiotic drive. We investigated the transmission of alleles with larger versus smaller CAG repeat numbers in the MJD1 gene in normal heterozygotes from the 40 CEPH families. Our data suggest that there was no segregation distortion in male meioses, while the smaller CAG allele was inherited in 57% of female meioses (p < 0.016). The pattern of inheritance of smaller versus larger CAG alleles at this locus was significantly different when male and female meioses were compared (p = 0.0139). While previous data suggest that meiotic drive may be a feature of certain human diseases, including the trinucleotide diseases MJD, myotonic dystrophy, and dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy, these data are compatible with meiotic drive also occurring among non-disease associated CAG sizes.     

东北地区正常汉族人群 SCA1及 SCA3/MJD基因内CAG重复变异研究

目的　对东北地区 110名汉族正常人 SCA1及 SCA3/ MJD基因 (CAG) n拷贝进行检测 ,探讨其正常变异范围 ,并对临床诊断为遗传型脊髓小脑共济失调的 8个家系的 2 5例患者和 6个散发病例进行基因分型评价和症状前及产前诊断。方法　应用荧光 - PCR方法测定不同基因型片段长度 ,并进行 DNA序列分析。结果　 SCA3/ MJD基因 (CAG) n正常变异范围为 14～ 38个拷贝 ,集中于 14个拷贝 ,其等位基因频率为 39.5 5 % ,杂合频率为 78.18% ,共 13种等位基因。检出一个家系先证者携带有 (CAG) 6 8的 SCA3/ MJD基因 ,并对该家系成员进行了症状前诊断 ,没有发现 (CAG) n拷贝异常突变 ;SCA1基因内 (CAG) n正常变异范围 2 0～ 39拷贝 ,集中于 2 6及 2 7次 ,等位基因频率分别为 34.0 9%和 2 0 .91% ,杂合频率为 84 .5 5 % ,共 13种等位基因 ;散发病例未检出 CAG扩展性突变。结论　 SCA1及 SCA3/ MJD基因中 (CAG) n正常变异范围存在地区和种族差异 ,SCAs基因分型是该病症状前及产前诊断的首选策略。     

Intergenerational instability of the CAG repeat of the gene for Machado- Joseph disease (MJD1) is affected by the genotype of the normal chromosome: implications for the molecular mechanisms of the instability of the CAG repeat

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by unstable expansion of a CAG repeat in the MJD1 gene at 14q32.1. To identify elements affecting the intergenerational instability of the CAG repeat, we investigated whether the CGG/GGG polymorphism at the 3' end of the CAG repeat affects intergenerational instability of the CAG repeat. The [expanded (CAG)n-CGG]/[normal (CAG)n- GGG] haplotypes were found to result in significantly greater instability of the CAG repeat compared to the [expanded (CAG)n- CGG]/[normal (CAG)n-CGG] or [expanded (CAG)nGGG]/[normal (CAG)n-GGG] haplotypes. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that the relative risk for a large intergenerational change in the number of CAG repeat units (< -2 or > 2) is 7.7-fold (95% CI: 2.5-23.9) higher in the case of paternal transmission than in that of maternal transmission and 7.4-fold (95% CI: 2.4-23.3) higher in the case of transmission from a parent with the [expanded (CAG)n-CGG]/[normal (CAG)n-GGG] haplotypes than in that of transmission from a parent with the [expanded (CAG)n-CGG]/[normal (CAG)n-CGG] or [expanded (CAG)n- GGG]/[normal (CAG)n-GGG] haplotypes. The combination of paternal transmission and the [expanded (CAG)n-CGG]/[normal (CAG)n-GGG] haplotypes resulted in a 75.2-fold (95% CI: 9.0-625.0) increase in the relative risk compared with that of maternal transmission and the [expanded (CAG)n-CGG]/[normal (CAG)n-CGG] or [expanded (CAG)n- GGG]/[normal (CAG)n-GGG] haplotypes. The results suggest that an inter- allelic interaction is involved in the intergenerational instability of the expanded CAG repeat.      

家族性亨廷顿病临床和(CAG)n多态性分析

亨廷顿病 (Huntington’sdisease,HD)是一种常染色体显性遗传的基底节和大脑皮层变性疾病 ,临床特征为慢性进行性的舞蹈样动作和痴呆。 1993年 ,分离获得HD相关基因IT15 ,并确定其开放阅读框架 5’端多态性CAG三核苷酸重复序列的过度扩展为致病的突变[1] ,正常人群 (CAG)n拷贝数为 11- 34个。通过检测CAG拷贝数 ,可从基因水平确诊HD。基于此 ,我们对一个家族性HD家系两个病例进行了基因分析。资料与方法1 临床资料 :先证者男性 ,6 6岁。以“四肢不自主运动14年 ,饮水呛咳 1个月”为主诉入院。来诊 14年前曾诊为“HD”。 4年前出现…     

Single sperm analysis of the trinucleotide repeats in the Huntington's disease gene: quantification of the mutation frequency spectrum

The CAG triplet repeat region of the Huntington's disease genewas amplified in 923 single sperm from three affected and twonormal individuals. Average-size alleles (15–18 repeats)showed only three contraction mutations among 475 sperm (0.6%).A 30 repeat normal allele showed an 11% mutation frequency.The mutation frequency of a 36 repeat intermediate allele was53% with 8% of all gametes having expansions which brought theallele size into the HD disease range (38 repeats). Diseasealleles (38–51 repeats) showed a very high mutation frequency(92–99%). As repeat number increased there was a markedelevation in the frequency of expansions, in the mean numberof repeats added per expansion and the size of the largest observedexpansion. Contraction frequencies also appeared to increasewith allele size but decreased as repeat number exceeded 36.Our sperm typing data are of a discrete nature rather than consistingof smears of PCR product from pooled sperm. This allowed theobserved mutation frequency spectra to be compared to the distributioncalculated using discrete stochastic models based on currentmolecular ideas of the expansion process. An excellent fit wasfound when the model specified that a random number of repeatsare added during the progression of the polymerase through therepeated region.     

Sequence variation and size ranges of CAG repeats in the Machado-Joseph disease, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and androgen receptor genes

A subgroup of trinucleotide repeat diseases result from abnormalexpansions of CAG repeats which are translated into polyglutaminestretches. As yet there is little understanding of how the polyglutaminesfunction either normally, or when expanded. We have investigatedthese sequences in the Machado-Joseph disease, androgen receptorand spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 genes in humans and otherprimates. None of the 748 normal chromosomes that were examinedhad more than 34 uninterrupted gluta-mine codons in the Machado-Josephdisease gene. Similarly, no normal alleles with more than 39uninterrupted glutamine codons have been reported for the otherdisease genes associated with polyglutamine expansions. Sequenceanalyses of the repeats in primates revealed shorter polyglutaminestretches in some of the non-human primates at all three lociand marked diversions from the expected polyglutamines in theorang-utan Machado-Joseph gene and in the marmoset spinocerebellarataxia type 1 gene. These data suggest that conservation ofthese polyglutamine stretches may not always be necessary fornormal gene function.     

脆性X综合征FMR1基因CGG重复序列与甲基化的检测

目的建立一种快速、可靠的脆性X综合征的群体筛查方法。方法应用热启动PCR和甲基化特异性PCR（MS-PCR）方法对62例智力低下儿童、12例父母外周血液以及5例高危胎儿的脐带血中FMR1基因CGG重复序列与甲基化状态进行检测。结果采用热启动PCR方法检测79例标本,77例标本的CGG重复数在21～40之间,与正常对照组无明显差异;2例标本未扩增出明显条带。采用MS-PCR方法检测出2例FMR1基因甲基化但CGG重复数在正常范围的患者。结论应用热启动PCR结合MS-PCR方法检测FMR1基因CGG重复数和甲基化,能提高诊断效率,可作为筛查脆性X综合征的首选方法。     

Comparative studies of the CAG repeats in the spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) gene

The CAG repeat tract at the autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) locus was analyzed in SCA1 families and French-Acadian, African-American, Caucasian, Greenland Inuit, and Thai populations. The normal alleles had 9–37 repeats, whereas disease alleles contained 44–64 repeats. The CAG repeat tract contained one or two CAT interruptions in 44 of 47 normal human chromosomes and in all five chimpanzees examined. In contrast, no CAT interruptions were found in Old World monkeys or expanded human alleles. The number and positions of CAT interruptions may be important in stabilizing CAG repeat tracts in normal chromosomes. At least five codons occupy the region corresponding to the polyglutamine tract at the SCA1 locus in mice, rats, and other rodents. They comprise three or four CCN (coding for proline) in addition to one or two CAG repeats. Am. J. Med. Genet. 74:488–493, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Expanded CAG repeats in exon 1 of the Huntington's disease gene stimulate dopamine-mediated striatal neuron autophagy and degeneration.

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in exon 1 of the gene coding for the huntingtin protein. The cellular pathway by which this mutation induces HD remains unknown, although alterations in protein degradation are involved. To study intrinsic cellular mechanisms linked to the mutation, we examined dissociated postnatally derived cultures of striatal neurons from transgenic mice expressing exon 1 of the human HD gene carrying a CAG repeat expansion. While there was no difference in cell death between wild-type and mutant littermate-derived cultures, the mutant striatal neurons exhibited elevated cell death following a single exposure to a neurotoxic concentration of dopamine. The mutant neurons exposed to dopamine also exhibited lysosome-associated responses including induction of autophagic granules and electron-dense lysosomes. The autophagic/lysosomal compartments co-localized with high levels of oxygen radicals in living neurons, and ubiquitin. The results suggest that the combination of mutant huntingtin and a source of oxyradical stress (provided in this case by dopamine) induces autophagy and may underlie the selective cell death characteristic of HD.     

European combined analysis of the CTG18.1 and the ERDA1 CAG/CTG repeats in bipolar disorder

Several groups have reported association between large CAG/CTG repeats in the genome and BP disorder using the Repeat Expansion Detection (RED) method. Molecular interpretation studies demonstrated that around 90% of the large CAG/CTG repeats detected by RED can by explained by repeat size at either the CTG18.1 or ERDA-1 locus. In this study we report the findings on a large European BP case-control sample analysed for these two frequently expanded repeats. The frequency of expanded alleles (>40 repeats) at the CTG18.1 locus was significantly higher in the subgroup of patients with a more severe phenotype BPI and a positive first degree family history than in a group of matched controls (9% vs 5%). No difference in ERDA-1 expansion frequency was seen between BP cases and matched controls. We conclude that the ERDA-1 locus is not related to the BP phenotype while expanded alleles at the CTG18.1 locus cannot be excluded as a vulnerability factor for BP disorder.     

Spinocerebellar ataxia 1 (SCA1) in the Japanese: Analysis of CAG trinucleitide repeat expansion and instability of the repeat for paternal transmission

Summary SCA1 is caused by expansion of an unstable CAG triplet repeat in a novel gene located on the short arm of chromosome 6. In 126 Japanese individuals from 12 pedigrees with SCA1, studies were done to determine if they carried this mutant gene. All the affected and presymptomatic individuals, determined by haplotype segregation analyses, carried an abnormally expanded allele with the range of 39–63 repeat units. This repeat size inversely correlated with the age at onset. However, contrary to reported results, size of the repeat did not correlate with gender of the transmitting parent. Therefore, the CAG triplet repeat instability on paternal transmission is not likely to be fundamental to SCA1.     

Genotyping of Mycobacterium leprae on the basis of the polymorphism of TTC repeats for analysis of leprosy transmission

The polymorphism of TTC repeats in Mycobacterium leprae was examined using the bacilli obtained from residents in villages at North Maluku where M. leprae infections are highly endemic (as well as from patients at North Sulawesi of Indonesia) to elucidate the possible mode of leprosy transmission. TTC genotypes are stable for several generations of passages in nude mice footpads and, hence, are feasible for the genotyping of isolates and epidemiological analysis of leprosy transmission. It was found that bacilli with different TTC genotypes were distributed among residents at the same dwelling in villages in which leprosy is endemic and that some household contacts harbored bacilli with a different genotype from that harbored by the patient. Investigations of a father-and-son pair of patients indicated that infections of bacilli with 10 and 18 copies, respectively, had occurred. Genotypes of TTC repeats were found to differ between a son under treatment and two brothers. These results reveal the possibility that in addition to exposure via the presence of a leprosy patient with a multibacillary infection who was living with family members, there might have been some infectious sources to which the residents had been commonly exposed outside the dwellings. A limited discriminative capacity of the TTC polymorphism in the epidemiological analysis implies the need of searching other useful polymorphic loci for detailed subdivision of clinical isolates.     

No evidence for the involvement of CAG/CTG repeats from within 18q21.33-q23 in bipolar disorder

We previously identified 18q21.33-q23 as a candidate region in one BP family and constructed a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig map. Here, we mapped eight known CAG/CTG repeats relative to 18q21.33-q23. We also isolated four CAG/CTG repeats from within the region using CAG/CTG YAC fragmentation, one of which is located in the 5' untranslated region of the CAP2 gene coding for a brain-expressed serine proteinase inhibitor. The triplet repeats located in the 18q21.33-q23 BP candidate region showed no expanded alleles in the linked BP family nor in a BP case-control sample. Moreover, only the CAP2 triplet repeat was polymorphic but no genetic association with BP disorder was observed.