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Genetic heterogeneity in type 1 Gaucher disease: Multiple genotypes in Ashkenazic and non-Ashkenazic individuals

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA)
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD (USA)
  2. Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, CA (USA)

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a genomic clone from an Ashkenazic Jewish patient with type 1 Gaucher disease revealed a single-base mutation (adenosine to guanosine transition) in exon 9 of the glucocerebrosidase gene. This change results in the amino acid substitution of serine for asparagine. Transient expression studies following oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the normal cDNA confirmed that the mutation results in loss of glucocerebrosidase activity. Allele-specific hybridization with oligonucleotide probes demonstrated that this mutation was found exclusively in type 1 phenotype. None of the 6 type 2 patients, 11 type 3 patients, or 12 normal controls had this allele. In contrast, 15 of 24 type 1 patients had one allele with this mutation, and 3 others were homozygous for the mutation. Furthermore, some of the Ashkenazic Jewish type 1 patients had only one allele with this mutation, suggesting that even in this population there is allelic heterozygosity. These findings indicate that there are multiple allelic mutations responsible for type 1 Gaucher disease in both the Jewish and non-Jewish populations. Allelic-specific hybridization demonstrating this mutation in exon 9, used in conjunction with the Nci I restriction fragment length polymorphism described as a marker for neuronopathic Gaucher disease, provides a tool for diagnosis and genetic counseling that is {approx}80% informative in all Gaucher patients studied.

OSTI ID:
6810199
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA) Vol. 85:7; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English