RESUMO
PURPOSE: Our goal is to identify the gene responsible for X-linked cone-rod dystrophy (COD1) that has been localized to a limited region of Xp11.4. METHODS: A complete physical contig of the COD1 region was partially sequenced and subjected to BLAST searches to identify homologies with GenBank ESTs. ESTs were analyzed for overlapping or related cDNA sequences and retinal expression by PCR screening of multiple human retina cDNA libraries. RACE was performed to complete the missing 5' end of the transcripts. Transcripts were compared with genomic sequences to specify intron-exon boundaries. Genomic DNAs from COD1-affected males from 3 families were screened for mutations using direct PCR sequencing of the exons. RESULTS: The vacuolar proton-ATPase membrane sector-associated protein M8-9 (APT6M8-9) gene was identified within our critical region. We confirmed its retinal expression and its genomic location in our physical contig. Eight exons (with flanking intronic sequences) were characterized from partial cDNA sequence and genomic sequence data. An additional 5' end exon was identified using RACE. No mutations were found in the COD1-affected males. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of disease mapping and information from the Human Genome project has enabled us to identify candidate genes within the COD1 region, including APT6M8-9 gene. We found no evidence that this gene is responsible for COD1 in our families, but it may be an important candidate for other diseases that have been mapped to this region of the X chromosome.
Assuntos
Transportadores de Cassetes de Ligação de ATP , Adenosina Trifosfatases/genética , Ligação Genética , ATPases Translocadoras de Prótons/genética , Retinose Pigmentar/genética , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae , ATPases Vacuolares Próton-Translocadoras , Cromossomo X/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sequência de Bases , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Defeitos da Visão Cromática/enzimologia , Defeitos da Visão Cromática/genética , Primers do DNA/química , Éxons , Biblioteca Gênica , Humanos , Masculino , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação , Bombas de Próton/genética , Retinose Pigmentar/enzimologia , Homologia de Sequência do Ácido NucleicoRESUMO
The mouse hypopigmentation mutant pearl is an established model for Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), a genetically heterogenous disease with misregulation of the biogenesis/function of melanosomes, lysosomes, and platelet dense granules. The pearl (Ap3b1) gene encodes the beta3A subunit of the AP-3 adaptor complex, which regulates vesicular trafficking. The genomic structure of the normal Ap3b1 gene includes 25 introns and a putative promoter sequence. The original pearl (pe) mutation, which has an unusually high reversion rate on certain strain backgrounds, has been postulated to be caused by insertion of a transposable element. Indeed, the mutation contains a 215-bp partial mouse transposon at the junction point of a large tandem genomic duplication of 6 exons and associated introns. At the cDNA level, three pearl mutations (pearl, pearl-8J, and pearl-9J) are caused by deletions or duplications of a complete exon(s).
Assuntos
Síndrome de Hermanski-Pudlak/genética , Hipopigmentação/genética , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Proteínas Monoméricas de Montagem de Clatrina , Subunidades alfa do Complexo de Proteínas Adaptadoras , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transporte Vesicular , Alelos , Animais , Sequência de Bases , DNA Complementar , Éxons , Deleção de Genes , Duplicação Gênica , Íntrons , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C3H , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Mutantes , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação , RNA , Sequências de Repetição em TandemRESUMO
The lacrimal gland secretes and metabolizes retinoids and responds to retinoic acid in culture. Like other retinoid responsive organs it is expected to express the nuclear retinoid receptors. The goal of this study was to identify the retinoic acid receptors (RAR) in the lacrimal glands of rats, rabbits, and humans. Total RNA was prepared from whole lacrimal glands and rat lacrimal gland acinar cells grown in culture. RNA was subjected to Northern blot analysis and probed for the RAR alpha, RAR beta, and RAR gamma mRNAs. Nuclear extracts of rat and rabbit lacrimal glands were incubated with 3H-all-trans retinoic acid and analyzed by gel filtration chromatography. Western blots of the nuclear extracts were probed using monoclonal antibodies to RAR alpha and RAR beta. Rat lacrimal gland expresses RAR alpha mRNA with two transcripts (3.8 and 3.0 kb), a single RAR beta mRNA transcript (3.3 kb), and a single RAR gamma mRNA transcript (3.3 kb). Cultured rat lacrimal acinar cells also expressed the mRNA for all three RAR subtypes. Rabbit lacrimal glands express mRNAs for RAR alpha (3.7 and 2.9 kb) and RAR beta (3.2 kb) but RAR gamma mRNA is not detectable. Human lacrimal glands also express mRNA for RAR alpha (3.5 and 2.3 kb), RAR beta (3.4 kb) and RAR gamma (3.0 kb). Lacrimal gland nuclear extracts contain proteins in the 50 kDa range that specifically bind retinoic acid with Kd = 1.25 nM in rat lacrimal gland and 0.3 nM in rabbit. The monoclonal antibodies identified RAR alpha and RAR beta in both rat and rabbit lacrimal glands. The results of this study support a role for retinoids in maintaining the structure and function of the lacrimal gland. The presence of RARs suggests potential interactions of these receptors with other members of their superfamily, including androgen and thyroid receptors, which also may be involved in lacrimal function.
Assuntos
Aparelho Lacrimal/metabolismo , Receptores do Ácido Retinoico/biossíntese , Animais , Anticorpos Monoclonais , Northern Blotting , Western Blotting , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Núcleo Celular/ultraestrutura , Células Cultivadas , Cromatografia em Gel , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Humanos , Aparelho Lacrimal/citologia , Aparelho Lacrimal/ultraestrutura , Camundongos , RNA Mensageiro/biossíntese , Coelhos , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptores do Ácido Retinoico/genética , Receptor alfa de Ácido Retinoico , Tretinoína/metabolismoRESUMO
The interaction of multiple receptor populations on a common second messenger system is a critical aspect of cell function and may be involved in pathology. We studied the interactions of the 5-HT2, alpha 2-adrenergic and prostaglandin (PGI2) receptors on phosphoinositide (PI) turnover in human platelets. Serotonin and epinephrine (EPI) stimulated PI hydrolysis in a dose-dependent manner. The PI turnover response to serotonin was mediated by the 5-HT2 receptor. The PI response to EPI was mediated by alpha 2-adrenergic receptors. An additive PI turnover response was generated by the combination of 5-HT and EPI. The sum of the maximal responses to 5-HT (72.5 +/- 4.9%) and EPI (56.0 +/- 4.2%) approximated the maximal response (129.3 +/- 9.5) to the combination. Prostacyclin (PGI2) at 1 microgram/mL reduced PI turnover by 21.8 +/- 1.1%. The PI response to 5-HT and EPI was not significantly altered once the reduction in the baseline PI turnover by PGI2 is taken into account. Similarly, PGI2 did not reduce PI hydrolysis stimulated by a combination of 5-HT (0.2 mM) and EPI (0.1 mM) once the decrease in baseline was taken into account (p greater than 0.20). The summation of serotonin stimulation of PI turnover by a combination of both epinephrine and serotonin was blocked by either yohimbine or ketanserin. These studies indicate: (1) the pool of phospholipases appears to exceed the maximal capacity of the individual alpha 2-adrenergic and 5-HT2 receptor populations to activate this second messenger system. (2) inhibition of serotonin or epinephrine-stimulated PI turnover by prostacyclin is due to a lowering of basal PI turnover. Future studies should examine other cell systems to assess the generalizability of these findings regarding the differences in effects on a second messenger system when activated by one receptor population as opposed to two different receptor types.
