Use of GC clamps in DHPLC mutation scanning.

OBJECTIVE: Development of a systematic mutation detection assay strategy for denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). DESIGN: Adaptation of Guanine and Cytosine (GC)-clamping from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to DHPLC. METHODS: Three target sequences harboring known allelic variants were studied to develop a general DHPLC assay design strategy. These were exon 10 of the human RET (REarranged during Transfection) gene, exon 52 of the mouse Col1a2 gene, and exon 9 of the human FAS (APO-1, CD-95) gene. Available software was used to analyze melting curves and determine assay conditions. GC clamps of 20 bp or 36 bp were added to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers to introduce a high melting temperature (T(m)) domain to each of the target molecules. DHPLC was performed under partially denaturing conditions. RESULTS: DHPLC assays of PCR-amplified sequences can be developed using a personal computer. The following three steps allowed for mutation detection in all three targets. The target sequence should have a uniform T(m)GC clamps of length sufficient to introduce a second melting domain with a T(m) > or = 8 degrees above that of the target sequence should be appended to one of the primers. The DHPLC assay should be performed at the highest temperature at which the target sequence is predicted to be > or = 90% double stranded CONCLUSION: Addition of GC-clamps to primers facilitates mutation detection by DHPLC. The theoretical basis for this observation is identical to that underlying the utility of GC-clamps in DGGE.

Alendronate treatment for infants with osteogenesis imperfecta: demonstration of efficacy in a mouse model.

Recent non-placebo-controlled studies of the bisphosphonate pamidronate have shown it to be effective in reducing fractures and improving bone density in infants and children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). To evaluate the effects of bisphosphonate treatment in a controlled study, the oim/oim mouse model of OI was studied. Nursing infant mouse pups (approximately 2 wk old) with moderate to severe OI (oim/oim mouse) and age- and background-matched control mice (+/+) were treated either with the third-generation bisphosphonate alendronate (ALN), or with saline. Fracture risk, bone quality, and growth were evaluated over a 12-wk treatment period. ALN at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg/d or saline was administered via s.c. injection to infant oim/oim and wild-type (+/+) mice from 2 to 14 wk of age (n = 20 per subgroup). The average number of fractures sustained by the ALN-treated oim/oim mice was reduced significantly compared with the untreated oim/oim mice (0.7 +/- 0.7 fractures/mouse versus 2.0 +/- 0.2 fractures/mouse). Bone density increased significantly in the femur and the spine with treatment (2.0 +/- 0.5 versus 1.2 +/- 0.5 in femur and 2.1 +/- 0.5 versus1.6 +/- 0.5 in spine). Histologic evaluation revealed the percentage of metaphyseal tibial bone increased significantly with treatment in both +/+ and oim/oim mice. Mechanical testing revealed an increase in structural stiffness for both treated +/+ and oim/oim mice compared with untreated animals. None of the material properties examined were significantly altered with treatment, nor was spinal curvature affected. Weight gain and long bone growth were comparable in the treated and untreated oim/oim mice. In wild-type mice, femur lengths were significantly shorter in the treated mice compared with untreated counterparts. This animal study demonstrates that treatment of OI in mice as early as 2 wk of age with ALN appears to be effective in reducing fractures and increasing bone properties. Based on the data from this study, ALN therapy in infants with OI should prove to be effective.