Parental source effect of inherited mutations in the dystrophin gene of mice and men

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · American Journal of Human Genetics

OSTI ID:134239

Kress, W; Grimm, T; Mueller, C R ^[1]; Bittner, R ^[2]

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1. Institute of Human Genetics, Wuerburg (Germany)
2. Institute of Anatomy, Wein (Australia)

Skewed X-inactivation has been suspected the genetic cause for some manifesting female carriers of BMD and DMD. To test whether a parental source effect on the protein expression of the dystrophin gene exists, we have set up backcrosses of mdx mice to wild type strains, enabling us to study the effect of the well-defined origin of the mutation on the dystrophin expression. In skeletal muscle sections the immunohistological staining patterns of dystrophin antibodies were showing a significant difference in the proportion of dystrophin positive versus negative fibers, suggesting a lower expression of paternally inherited mdx mutations. These data are in concordance with the pyruvate kinase (PK) levels in the serum: PK levels were much higher when the mutation was of maternal origin as compared to PK levels in paternally derived mutations. In order to test this {open_quotes}paternal source effect{close_quotes} in humans, we checked obligatory carriers of Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) for the origin of their mutations. Creatin kinase (CK) levels in 21 carriers with maternally derived mutations were compared to CK values from 8 heterozygotes with mutations of paternal origin: CK (mat) = 140.3 IU/1 versus CK (pat) = 48.6 IU/I. The difference is statistically significant at the 5% level. These observations suggest either a differential X-inactivation or an imprinting of the dystrophin gene in mice and men.

• OSTI ID: 134239
• 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

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
GENE MUTATIONS
GENE REGULATION
GENES
GENETICS
HEREDITARY DISEASES
HUMAN X CHROMOSOME
MICE
MUSCLES
ORIGIN
PATIENTS
PROTEINS
STATISTICS
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS