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Title: Imprinting mutations suggested by abnormal DNA methylation patterns in familial angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes

Journal Article · · American Journal of Human Genetics; (United States)
OSTI ID:7159717
 [1]; ; ; ;  [2]; ;  [3];  [4]
  1. Freie Universitaet, Berlin (Germany)
  2. Institut fuer Humangenetik, Essen (United Kingdom)
  3. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)
  4. Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden)

The D15S9 and D15S63 loci in the Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome region on chromosome 15 are subject to parent-of-origin-specific DNA methylation. The authors have found two Prader-Willi syndrome families in which the patients carry a maternal methylation imprint on the paternal chromosome. In one of these families, the patients have a small deletion encompassing the gene for the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N, which maps 130 kb telomeric to D15S63. Furthermore, they have identified a pair of nondeletion Angelman syndrome sibs and two isolated Angelman syndrome patients who carry a paternal methylation imprint on the maternal chromosome. These Angelman and Prader-Willi syndrome patients may have a defect in the imprinting process in 15q11-13. The authors propose a model in which a cis-acting mutation prevents the resetting of the imprinting signal in the germ line and thus disturbs the expression of imprinted genes in this region. 39 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

OSTI ID:
7159717
Journal Information:
American Journal of Human Genetics; (United States), Vol. 54:5; ISSN 0002-9297
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English