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Cloning of BWS-associated chromosomal breakpoints

Journal Article · · American Journal of Human Genetics
OSTI ID:133302

The Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is characterized by numerous growth abnormalities and is thought to be subject to {open_quotes}parental imprinting{close_quotes}. There is a striking increased incidence of different types of childhood tumors found in BWS patients of 7.5%. The syndrome is localized to chromosome region 11p15.3-p15.5. A contiguous map of this region of over 10 Mb was constructed and all 25 known genes from this region were localized to this map, including known imprinted genes like IGF2 and H19, or candidate tumor suppressor genes like WEE1, ST5 and rhombotin. In addition, we were able to place the breakpoints of 8 different balanced chromosomal rearrangements, associated with the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, onto this map in two distinct regions that are now known to contain childhood tumor suppressor genes. In one of these BWS clusters (BWSCR1) 5/5 translocation breakpoints could be identified with overlapping cosmids for each breakpoint. A 6.7 kb transcript in all adult tissues tested was identified by several of these cosmids. This transcript was less abundant in fetal tissue. Preliminary results suggest the presence of zinc-finger protein motifs in this gene. This, however, has to be confirmed by sequence analysis. Two breakpoints in the more proximal BWS region (BWSCR2) were associated with clinically distinct BWS phenotypes, of which hemihypertrophy and Wilms` tumor are the most pronounced clinical findings. These breakpoints were found to be overlapped by the same cosmid. In this region, zinc-finger motifs flanking the breakpoints were identified by genomic sequence analysis.

OSTI ID:
133302
Report Number(s):
CONF-941009--
Journal Information:
American Journal of Human Genetics, Journal Name: American Journal of Human Genetics Journal Issue: Suppl.3 Vol. 55; ISSN AJHGAG; ISSN 0002-9297
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English