23 research outputs found
Familial hemiplegic migraine and episodic ataxia type-2 are caused by mutations in the Ca2+ channel gene CACNL1A4
Genes for familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) and episodic ataxia type-2 (EA-2) have been mapped to chromosome 19p13. We characterized a brain- specific P/Q-type Ca2+ channel α1-subunit gene, CACNLIA4, covering 300 kb with 47 exons. Sequencing of all exons and their surroundings revealed polymorphic variations, including a (CA)(n)-repeat (D19S1150), a (CAG)(n)- repeat in the 3'-UTR, and different types of deleterious mutations in FHM and EA-2. In FHM, we found four different missense mutations in conserved functional domains. One mutation has occurred on two different haplotypes in unrelated FHM families. In EA-2, we found two mutations disrupting the reading frame. Thus, FHM and EA-2 can be considered as allelic channelopathies. A similar etiology may be involved in common types of migraine
Human Non-synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Can Influence Ubiquitin-mediated Protein Degradation
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Symposium Overview: Genetic Polymorphisms in DNA Repair and Cancer Risk
A symposium,
Genetic Polymorphisms in DNA Repair and Cancer Risk, was presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology, held in San Francisco, California, in March 2001. A brief report of the symposium was published (Kaiser,
Science 292, 837–838, 2001). Molecular epidemiological studies have shown that polymorphic variants of genes involved in the metabolism and repair of carcinogens can act as
cancer susceptibility genes. These variants of drug metabolic and DNA-repair enzymes either increase the activation of chemical carcinogens or decrease the cells' ability to detoxify/repair mutagenic damages. Although on an individual basis these variant alleles may only slightly change catalytic activity and increase cancer risk, their polymorphic frequency in the human population may contribute to a high proportion of cancer cases. Studies conducted over the past few years have identified variant alleles for a number of DNA-repair genes, some of which have been shown to change DNA-repair capacity. Identifying these genotypic alterations in DNA-repair enzymes and their association with cancer may help to elucidate the mechanisms of cancer etiology and to predict both disease risk and response to cancer therapy, since most antineoplastic treatments mediate their effects through DNA damage