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Title: Effect of trinucleotide repeat length and parental sex on phenotypic variation in spinocerebellar ataxia I

Journal Article · · American Journal of Human Genetics; (United States)
OSTI ID:7076096
; ; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Universita Tor Vergata, Rome (Italy)
  2. Universita La Sapienza, Rome (Italy)
  3. Universita La Sapienza, Rome (Italy) Institute of Neurology, London (United Kingdom)
  4. Institute of Neurology, London (United Kingdom)
  5. Istituto di Medicina Sperimentale, Rome (Italy)

Trinucleotide repeat expansion has been found in 64 subjects from 19 families: 57 patients with SCA1 and 7 subjects predicted, by haplotype analysis, to carry the mutation. Comparison with a large set of normal chromosomes shows two distinct distributions, with a much wider variation among expanded chromosomes. The sex of transmitting parent plays a major role in the size distribution of expanded alleles, those with >54 repeats being transmitted by affected fathers exclusively. The data suggest that alleles with >54 repeats have a reduced chance of survival; these appear to be replaced in each generation by further expansion of alleles in the low- to medium-expanded repeat range, preferentially in male transmission. Detailed clinical follow-up of a subset of patients demonstrates significant relationships between increasing repeat number on expanded chromosomes and earlier age at onset, faster progression of the disease, and earlier age at death.

OSTI ID:
7076096
Journal Information:
American Journal of Human Genetics; (United States), Vol. 54:6; ISSN 0002-9297
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English