Subject(s)
Aged , Cell Movement , DNA Glycosylases/genetics , DNA Repair Enzymes/genetics , Deoxyguanosine/analogs & derivatives , Female , Gastric Mucosa/enzymology , Humans , Inflammation , Male , Mutation/genetics , Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases/genetics , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics , Stomach Neoplasms/enzymologyABSTRACT
Genetic polymorphisms associated with structural changes of their gene product are important in terms of their potential relation with diseases. Therefore, in this study, splice-site variants of the transmembrane serine protease gene TMPRSS4, nephronophthisis gene NPHP4, and organic-cation transporter gene ORCTL4, were selected from the dbSNP single nucleotide polymorphism database as candidates to identify genetic polymorphisms associated with a structural change in their mRNA transcripts. The allele frequencies of the TMPRSS4 c.4-7A>G, NPHP4 c.2818-2A>T, and ORCTL4 c.517-2A>C polymorphisms in a Japanese population were determined to be 0.42, 0.10, and 0.27, respectively, by PCR-SSCP analysis. Next, the effect of these polymorphisms on the mode of pre-mRNA splicing was investigated by RT-PCR analysis followed by sequencing analysis. The TMPRSS4, NPHP4, and ORCTL4 polymorphisms were associated with the production of the r.4-6_4-1ins transcript, the r.2818_2823del and r.2818_2859del transcripts, and the r.517-94_517-1ins; r.517-2a>c and r.517_620del transcripts, respectively. Since the proteins encoded by all these transcripts are associated with relatively significant structural changes in the form amino acid insertion/deletion and premature termination, their functional ability may be greatly reduced. Our demonstration of structural changes in mRNA transcripts as a result of splice-site polymorphisms implies that they may be of biological significance in certain pathological conditions.