Trinucleotide repeat expansion and DRPLA (Smith`s disease): Molecular characterization of atrophin-1
- Johns Hopkins Univ., Balitmore, MD (United States)
Smith`s disease (also known as dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy or DRPLA) is a rare, progressive, fatal neuropsychiatric disorder similar to Huntington`s disease (HD). Smith`s disease is characterized by ataxia, choreoathetosis, myoclonic epilepsy, dementia, and genetic anticipation. Neuropathological findings include prominent cell loss in the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum, the globus pallidus, the red nucleus, and the subthalamic nucleus. An expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat encoding polyglutamine in a gene originally identified in our laboratory as part of a program to clone candidate genes for disorders with anticipation has recently been found to cause this disorder. We have identified two families that demonstrate the pathological and genetic features (expanded CAG repeat and anticipation) of this disease. Northern analysis indicates that the gene, which we have termed atrophin-1, is widely expressed as a 5 kb mRNA in normal human brain and peripheral tissues. Brain expression is highest in the cerebellum. The developmental expression of the rat homologues of IT-15 (the gene in which a CAG expansion causes HD) and atrophin-1 were compared. Atrophin-1 was most highly expressed in early rat embryo brain (E16), whereas the greatest expression of IT-15 was in the adult rat brain. Cloning and sequencing of the open reading frame from inserts contained in brain cDNA libraries is in progress. In addition to the CAG repeat, the ORF contains an unusual region of alternating acidic and basic amino acids. Further characterization of atrophin-1, and comparison of it to other genes in which trinucleotide repeat expansion leads to neuropsychiatric disorders, should lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology by which CAG repeat expansion causes human disease.
- OSTI ID:
- 134256
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009-; ISSN 0002-9297; TRN: 95:005313-0992
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 55, Issue Suppl.3; Conference: 44. annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Montreal (Canada), 18-22 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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