Identification of a prevalent founder mutation in an Israeli Muslim Arab village confirms the role of PRCD in the aetiology of retinitis pigmentosa in humans.

BACKGROUND: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common form of hereditary retinal degeneration. At least 32 genes and loci have been implicated in non-syndromic autosomal recessive RP. Progressive rod-cone degeneration is a canine form of autosomal recessive retinal degeneration, which serves as an animal model for human RP, and is caused by a missense mutation of the PRCD gene. The same homozygous PRCD mutation has been previously identified in a single human RP patient from Bangladesh. To date, this is the only RP-causing mutation of PRCD reported in humans. METHODS: The cause of the high incidence rate of autosomal recessive RP in an isolated Muslim Arab village in Northern Israel was investigated by haplotype analysis in affected families. The underlying mutation was detected by direct sequencing of the causative gene, and its prevalence in affected and unaffected individuals from the village was determined. Patients who were homozygotes for this mutation underwent ophthalmic evaluation, including funduscopy and electroretinography. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The identification of a novel pathogenic nonsense mutation of PRCD is reported. This founder mutation was found in a homozygous state in 18 patients from nine families, and its carrier frequency in the investigated village is 10%. The mutation is associated with a typical RP phenotype, including bone spicule-type pigment deposits and non-recordable electroretinograms. Additional findings include signs of macular degeneration and cataract. The identification of a second pathogenic mutation of PRCD in multiple RP patients confirms the role of PRCD in the aetiology of RP in humans.

Mutations in the gene encoding tight junction claudin-14 cause autosomal recessive deafness DFNB29.

Tight junctions in the cochlear duct are thought to compartmentalize endolymph and provide structural support for the auditory neuroepithelium. The claudin family of genes is known to express protein components of tight junctions in other tissues. The essential function of one of these claudins in the inner ear was established by identifying mutations in CLDN14 that cause nonsyndromic recessive deafness DFNB29 in two large consanguineous Pakistani families. In situ hybridization and immunofluorescence studies demonstrated mouse claudin-14 expression in the sensory epithelium of the organ of Corti.

Hereditary cancer and developmental abnormalities.

About 1% of all cancers are hereditary, caused by germ-line mutations in specific cancer-related genes. More than 25 different hereditary cancer syndromes are known, most of them involving mutations in tumor suppressor genes. These genes, which are related to cellular proliferation, might also be involved in differentiation. Hence, the phenotype of hereditary cancer syndromes might include developmental abnormalities, in addition to cancer predisposition. The information summarized here indicates that developmental phenotypes appear in both human patients and mouse models of the various hereditary cancer syndromes. These developmental abnormalities, which involve a variety of tissues and organs, usually lead to embryonic malformation that prevents the birth of viable homozygous offspring, but can also be detected in heterozygotes. In some of the syndromes a correlation exists between tumor types and developmentally affected tissues. Comparison of mice and human phenotypes from both the cancer and the developmental aspects indicates that many of the mouse models mimic the human syndromes. Our analysis indicates that most tumor suppressor genes participate not only in the regulation of cell proliferation, but also in differentiation and embryogenesis.

Characterization of the human talin (TLN) gene: genomic structure, chromosomal localization, and expression pattern.

Talin is a high-molecular-weight cytoskeletal protein, localized at cell-extracellular matrix associations known as focal contacts. In these regions, talin is thought to link integrin receptors to the actin cytoskeleton. Talin plays a key role in the assembly of actin filaments and in spreading and migration of various cell types. Talin proteins are found in a wide variety of organisms, from slime molds to humans. The human Talin (HGMW-approved symbol TLN) gene was previously mapped to chromosome 9p, but little was known of its sequence and genomic structure. To characterize human TLN further, we have isolated a single bacterial artificial chromosome clone, harboring the entire gene. The gene extends over more than 23 kb and consists of 57 exons. We have localized TLN to human chromosome band 9p13 by both fluorescence in situ hybridization and radiation hybrid mapping. Northern blot analysis detected TLN expression in various human tissues, including leukocytes, lung, placenta, liver, kidney, spleen, thymus, colon, skeletal muscle, and heart. Based on its chromosomal location, expression pattern, and protein function, we considered TLN as a candidate gene for cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH), an autosomal recessive metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, previously mapped to 9p13. We sequenced the entire TLN coding sequence in several CHH patients, but no functional mutations were detected.

Involvement of Myc targets in c-myc and N-myc induced human tumors.

The myc proto-oncogenes are transcription factors that directly regulate the expression of other genes, by binding to the specific DNA sequence, CACGTG. Among the target genes for c-Myc regulation are ECA39, p53, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), alpha-prothymosin and Cdc25A. In this study we examined the involvement of c-Myc target genes in human oncogenesis induced by c-myc or N-myc. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, the induction of c-myc expression by estrogen was followed by the induction of all the Myc targets that we examined, indicating that those genes can serve as c-Myc targets in human oncogenesis. Moreover, in breast tumors exhibiting c-myc overexpression, several Myc targets were also overexpressed. A clear correlation between the expression of c-myc and its targets was also detected in Burkitt's lymphomas, which involve a specific translocation of c-myc gene, but not in other lymphoma cells. Yet, in cells derived from a neuronal origin the pattern of expression of Myc targets was more complex. In a neuroepithelioma cell line that overexpresses c-myc, only some targets were expressed. In addition in neuroblastomas, in which N-myc is amplified and overexpressed, only ODC was overexpressed in all cell lines, while all other target genes were expressed in only some of the cell lines. The more complex expression pattern found for the Myc targets in neuroblastomas suggests that genes that were identified originally as targets for c-Myc regulation may be regulated by N-Myc, but other cell specific factors are also needed for transcription of the target genes.

ECA39 is regulated by c-Myc in human and by a Jun/Fos homolog, Gcn4, in yeast.

myc oncogenes are transcription factors regulating the level of expression of other genes. Using a subtraction/coexpression strategy, a murine genetic target for Myc regulation was isolated. To further characterize this target gene, named ECA39, we have recently isolated the human, nematode and budding yeast homologs of the mouse gene. The recognition site for Myc binding, located 3' to the start site of transcription in the mouse gene, is conserved in the human homolog. Transfection experiments demonstrated that the Myc binding site of the human gene, mediates activation of a reporter gene in response to over-expression of c-myc. The activation was better executed when the c-Myc binding element was positioned downstream to the promoter, which is the usual position of the c-Myc DNA binding element in its genetic targets. The tissue specific expression of human ECA39 during embryogenesis is similar to that of the mouse homolog. Moreover, ECA39 is expressed in c-myc induced human tumors. It is expressed in Burkitt's lymphoma (where c-myc is translocated and activated) but not in non Burkitt's B-cell lymphoma or in T-cell lymphoma. Thus, it seems that ECA39 is a target for c-myc oncogenesis in humans. In yeast, where c-myc is absent, the ECA39 sequences lack the c-Myc binding element. However, the promoter region of the yeast ECA39 harbors several Gcn4 binding elements. Moreover, ECA39 is markedly down regulated in cells deleted for gcn4, and deletion of Gcn4 binding elements down regulated the transcription from ECA39 promoter. We thus suggest that ECA39 is a target for c-Myc regulation in mammals, while in yeast the regulator is not c-Myc but the c-Jun/c-Fos homolog - Gcn4.

ECA39, a conserved gene regulated by c-Myc in mice, is involved in G1/S cell cycle regulation in yeast.

The c-myc oncogene has been shown to play a role in cell proliferation and apoptosis. The realization that myc oncogenes may control the level of expression of other genes has opened the field to search for genetic targets for Myc regulation. Recently, using a subtraction/coexpression strategy, a murine genetic target for Myc regulation, called EC439, was isolated. To further characterize the ECA39 gene, we set out to determine the evolutionary conservation of its regulatory and coding sequences. We describe the human, nematode, and budding yeast homologs of the mouse ECA39 gene. Identities between the mouse ECA39 protein and the human, nematode, or yeast proteins are 79%, 52%, and 49%, respectively. Interestingly, the recognition site for Myc binding, located 3' to the start site of transcription in the mouse gene, is also conserved in the human homolog. This regulatory element is missing in the ECA39 homologs from nematode or yeast, which also lack the regulator c-myc. To understand the function of ECA39, we deleted the gene from the yeast genome. Disruption of ECA39 which is a recessive mutation that leads to a marked alteration in the cell cycle. Mutant haploids and homozygous diploids have a faster growth rate than isogenic wild-type strains. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analyses indicate that the mutation shortens the G1 stage in the cell cycle. Moreover, mutant strains show higher rates of UV-induced mutations. The results suggest that the product of ECA39 is involved in the regulation of G1 to S transition.