Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase from human osteoclastomas is translated as a single polypeptide.

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatases have been isolated from a number of sources. These enzymes consist of one subunit (Mr 30,000-40,000) or two dissimilar subunits (Mr 15,000-20,000). Previously we isolated the enzyme from human osteoclastomas, as a two-subunit protein. By Northern blotting and hybridization with radiolabelled oligonucleotides corresponding to the N-terminal sequences of the two subunits, we demonstrate here that the enzyme is transcribed as one mRNA which is translated in vitro to produce a single polypeptide of approx. Mr 33,000. Transcription as a single mRNA species is also the case in other tissues. These results suggest that the osteoclastoma enzyme undergoes post-translational modification in the form of cleavage of a single peptide bond to give a disulphide-bonded two-subunit protein.

Homozygous prion protein genotype predisposes to sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The human prion diseases, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome (GSS), are neurodegenerative diseases that are unique in being both infectious and genetic. Transmission of both diseases and the animal spongiform encephalopathies (for example, scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy) to experimental animals by intracerebral inoculation with brain homogenates is well documented. Despite their experimental transmissibility, missense and insertional mutations in the prion protein gene are associated with both GSS and familial CJD, demonstrating that the human familial cases are autosomal dominant diseases. More than 80% of CJD cases occur sporadically, however, and are not known to be associated with mutations. Here we report that 21 of 22 sporadic CJD cases and a further 19 of 23 suspected sporadic CJD cases are homozygous at the polymorphic amino-acid residue 129; 51% of the normal population are heterozygous at this site. We argue that homozygosity predisposes towards sporadic CJD and that this directly supports the hypothesis that interaction between prion protein molecules underlies the disease process.

Genetic predisposition to iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The spongiform encephalopathy Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been transmitted to man via administration of growth hormone and gonadotropin extracted from large pooled batches of human cadaveric pituitary glands. In the UK, 1908 individuals were exposed to potentially contaminated growth hormone, of whom 6 have so far manifested CJD. Examination of the prion protein genes of all these cases and of a single case of gonadotropin-related CJD showed that 4 had the uncommon valine 129 homozygous genotype indicating genetic susceptibility to prion infection. Such genetic susceptibility may be important in the aetiology of sporadic CJD disease.