Rapid detection of CAA/CAG repeat polymorphism in the AIB1 gene using DHPLC

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) has been used for rapid and accurate DNA mutation analysis; to extend the DNA fragment lengths analysis. Recently, polymorphism in polyglutamine-coding region of Amplified In Breast cancer gene 1 (AIB1) was analyzed as an independent genetic risk factor influencing breast cancer onset in carriers of mutation in breast cancer predisposing gene 1 (BRCA1). We have implemented efficient, cost-effective and rapid method for analysis of the AIB1 polyglutamine repeat polymorphism based on DHPLC analysis (WAVE system) of unlabeled PCR products. This strategy can be useful for genotyping of other trinucleotide repeat polymorphisms using DHPLC in medium/high throughput settings.     

A polymorphism in the MSH3 mismatch repair gene is associated with the levels of somatic instability of the expanded CTG repeat in the blood DNA of myotonic dystrophy type 1 patients

Somatic mosaicism of the expanded CTG repeat in myotonic dystrophy type 1 is age-dependent, tissue-specific and expansion-biased, contributing toward the tissue-specificity and progressive nature of the symptoms. Previously, using regression modelling of repeat instability we showed that variation in the rate of somatic expansion in blood DNA contributes toward variation in age of onset, directly implicating somatic expansion in the disease pathway. Here, we confirm these results using a larger more genetically homogenous Costa Rican DM1 cohort (p < 0.001). Interestingly, we also provide evidence that supports subtle sex-dependent differences in repeat length-dependent age at onset and somatic mutational dynamics. Previously, we demonstrated that variation in the rate of somatic expansion was a heritable quantitative trait. Given the important role that DNA mismatch repair genes play in mediating expansions in mouse models, we tested for modifier gene effects with 13 DNA mismatch gene polymorphisms (one each in MSH2, PMS2, MSH6 and MLH1; and nine in MSH3). After correcting for allele length and age effects, we identified three polymorphisms in MSH3 that were associated with variation in somatic instability: Rs26279 (p = 0.003); Rs1677658 (p = 0.009); and Rs10168 (p = 0.031). However, only the association with Rs26279 remained significant after multiple testing correction. Although we revealed a statistically significant association between Rs26279 and somatic instability, we did not detect an association with the age at onset. Individuals with the A/A genotype for Rs26279 tended to show a greater propensity to expand the CTG repeat than other genotypes. Interestingly, this SNP results in an amino acid change in the critical ATPase domain of MSH3 and is potentially functionally dimorphic. These data suggest that MSH3 is a key player in generating somatic variation in DM1 patients and further highlight MSH3 as a potential therapeutic target.     

Association of a CAG/CAA repeat sequence in the TBP gene with type I diabetes

Type I diabetes is a complex disease in which multiple susceptibility loci have been implicated by whole genome scans. IDDM8, a susceptibility locus, is located on chromosome 6q27, however the specific susceptibility gene has yet to be identified. We have examined five potential candidate genes using 36 genetic markers, spanning 360kb located near the chromosome 6q27 terminus in 478 families for diabetes association. No associations with type I diabetes susceptibility were detected with the strength previously observed for IDDM1 or IDDM2. However, a novel CAG/CAA polymorphism was detected in exon 3 of the TATA box-binding protein gene, which shows preliminary evidence of association with diabetes susceptibility (p<0.05).     

Moderate overexpression of AIB1 triggers pre-neoplastic changes in mammary epithelium

Here we report a new model of pre-clinical breast cancer which has been generated by overexpressing the steroid receptor coactivator AIB1 at moderate levels in breast epithelium. Transgenic female mice display mammary hyperplasia at the onset of puberty, consistent with enhanced proliferation of primary mammary epithelial cultures and augmented levels of cyclin D1 and E-cadherin. Studies of BrdU incorporation revealed that AIB1 localizes to the nucleus during or after S phase, implicating a new role for AIB1 in cell-cycle progression subsequent to G1. Our findings suggest that moderate overexpression of AIB1 may represent one of the pre-neoplastic changes in breast tissue.     

多重PCR-DHPLC快速检测食品中产志贺毒素大肠杆菌

应用多重PCR(motiplex PCR)结合变性高效液相色谱技术(denaturing high-performanceliquid chromatography,DHPLC)建立了快速检测食品中产志贺毒素大肠杆菌O111和O157的方法.以基因wzxO111、rfbEO157为靶基因,建立多重PCR-DHPLC方法,进行特异性和灵敏度测试,同时进行RT-PCR检测比较灵敏度.该方法具有良好特异性,可以一次PCR扩增同时检测O111、O157;灵敏度达到25 CFU/mL.129份牛肉样品中检出1例O111,3例O157阳性;74份鸡肉样品中检测出O111、O157阳性各1例,67份蔬菜样品中未检测到O111、O157.本文建立O111、O157多重PCR-DHPLC检测方法,操作简便,特异性强,适用于产志贺毒素大肠杆菌筛选检测.     

用DHPLC法研究细胞周期蛋白D1的多态性与NPC遗传易感性之间的关系

细胞周期蛋白D1是一个关键的细胞周期调节因子和候选的原癌基因 ,其失调参与多种肿瘤 ,包括鼻咽癌的发生。由于细胞周期蛋白D1的基因CCND1第 4外显子存在单个核苷酸多态A/G(A870G) ,因此可产生两种不同的转录本。有报道表明CCND1的基因型与某些肿瘤的临床表型相关。为研究细胞周期蛋白D1的基因型对中国南方散发性鼻咽癌遗传易感性是否存在影响 ,用变性高效液相色谱法 (DHPLC)和DNA测序的方法对 84例鼻咽癌患者和 91例对照的PCR产物进行细胞周期蛋白D1的基因分型。对病例组与对照组基因频率的分布分别进行Hardy Weinberg平衡检验 ,两组间基因频率的差异用 χ2 检验进行比较。结果发现 :在鼻咽癌患者中 ,细胞周期蛋白D1基因型为AA型的 (占 2 0 .2 4% )显著低于正常对照 (占38.46 % ) ,而基因型为GG型和AG型的则显著高于对照 (χ2 =6 .946 ,Pcorrected =0 .0 16 ,OR =2 .46 3,95 %CI =1.2 49～4.85 9)。这表明细胞周期蛋白D1基因的A/G多态性与鼻咽癌的遗传易感性相关 ,在鼻咽癌患者中GG和AG型基因型显著高于健康对照     

Insights into the mutational history and prevalence of SCA1 in the Indian population through anchored polymorphisms

There is a wide variation in prevalence of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) in different populations. In the present study, we observed SCA1 in ∼22% (37/167 families) of the autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias (ADCAs) in the Indian population. We investigated the role of various genetic factors like repeat length, interruption pattern and chromosomal background in predisposing the repeats to instability in these families. We analyzed 12 markers (9 SNPs and 3 microsatellite markers) and found 3 of them, spanning a region of ∼65 kbp to be linked with the disease locus in the Indian population. The haplotype C-4-C defined by rs1476464 (SNP9)-D6S288-rs2075974 (SNP1), which was extremely rare in nonaffected chromosomes (∼3%), was observed to be significantly (P<0.0000) associated with the expanded chromosomes in ∼44% of SCA1 families. This haplotype was found in all nonhuman primates. SNP1 (C/T), which showed a skewed allelic distribution between large (LN > 30 repeats) and small normal (SN ≤ 30 repeats) alleles (P<0.0000) had similar allelic distribution (P=0.3477) in LN and expanded alleles. Our study suggested that LN and expanded chromosomes linked with the ancestral C allele of SNP1 might have originated simultaneously during evolution by the lengthening of repeats. The LN alleles might have accumulated repeat stabilizing non-CAG interruptions during this process. Similar proportions of T allele in SN with single interruptions, LN and expanded chromosomes lend credence to the origin of expanded alleles from singly-interrupted chromosomes. Our analyses using markers linked (anchoring) to SCA1 suggest that prevalence of SCA1 is correlated to both repeat length and number of interruptions in the Indian population. The spectrum of these alleles also points toward the antiquity of SCA1 mutation in the Indian population.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

应用变性高效液相色谱技术建立胸苷酸合成酶基因多态检测平台

TS基因5′非翻译区(5′ untranslation region, 5′UTR)增强子区域(TS enhancer region, TSER)存在28 bp的2次(2R)、3次(3R)的串联重复多态, 在3R等位基因第二次重复中还存在一个G→C的单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs), 同时在3′非翻译区(3′ untranslation region, 3′ UTR)存在6个碱基片段缺失/插入多态。这些多态形式的存在影响了TS基因mRNA的稳定和翻译效率, 并可导致不同TS基因型肿瘤患者对以5-fuorouracil (5-FU)为基础的化疗疗效产生差异。为提高TS基因型临床检测的效率和准确性, 方便、快捷、准确和自动化区分各种纯合及杂合基因型, 设计多重PCR反应, 同时扩增TS基因5′ 和3′ 非翻译区多态所处片段。利用DHPLC技术建立TS基因多态性检测平台, 在非变性条件下, 通过优化DHPLC 洗脱梯度, 同时检测5′ TSER区的串联重复多态和3′ UTR片段长度多态; 在变性条件下, 检测5′ TSER区单核苷酸多态。同时采用PCR-RFLP和DNA 测序方法, 验证DHPLC分析结果。     

AIB1 is required for the acquisition of epithelial growth factor receptor-mediated tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells

Acquired resistance to tamoxifen has become a serious obstacle in breast cancer treatment. The underlying mechanism responsible for this condition has not been completely elucidated. In this study, a tamoxifen-resistant (Tam-R) MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was developed to mimic the occurrence of acquired tamoxifen resistance as seen in clinical practice. Increased expression levels of HER1, HER2 and the estrogen receptor (ER)-AIB1 complex were found in tamoxifen-resistant cells. EGF stimulation and gefitinib inhibition experiments further demonstrated that HER1/HER2 signaling and AIB1 were involved in the proliferation of cells that had acquired Tam resistance. However, when AIB1 was silenced with AIB1-siRNA in Tam-R cells, the cell growth stimulated by the HER1/HER2 signaling pathway was significantly reduced, and the cells were again found to be inhibited by tamoxifen. These results suggest that the AIB1 protein could be a limiting factor in the HER1/HER2-mediated hormone-independent growth of Tam-R cells. Thus, AIB1 may be a new therapeutic target, and the removal of AIB1 may decrease the crosstalk between ER and the HER1/HER2 pathway, resulting in the restoration of tamoxifen sensitivity in tamoxifen-resistant cells.     

DNA池结合DHPLC和直接测序技术在江豚SNPs检测中的应用

选取江豚基因组中的2 个已知单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphisms,SNPs)位点,通过PCR 扩增,将PCR 产物按基因频率不同制备成0 ～ 50% 的11 个DNA 池(DNA pool),用于变性高效液相色谱(denaturing high performance liquid chromatography,DHPLC)和直接测序分析,以探讨DNA 池中基因频率的最低要求。结果显示,当稀有等位基因的基因频率不少于5% 时可在DHPLC 检测过程中明显分辨;而利用DNA 池进行直接测序时的基因频率则需达到10% 。这提示,为保证DHPLC 分析的准确性和可靠性,制备DNA 池时等摩尔DNA 混合的个体数最好不超过10 个。DNA 池结合DHPLC 技术的高效性与准确性可在大规模的SNPs 位点筛选中发挥作用。     

Role of recombination and replication fork restart in repeat instability

Eukaryotic genomes contain many repetitive DNA sequences that exhibit size instability. Some repeat elements have the added complication of being able to form secondary structures, such as hairpin loops, slipped DNA, triplex DNA or G-quadruplexes. Especially when repeat sequences are long, these DNA structures can form a significant impediment to DNA replication and repair, leading to DNA nicks, gaps, and breaks. In turn, repair or replication fork restart attempts within the repeat DNA can lead to addition or removal of repeat elements, which can sometimes lead to disease. One important DNA repair mechanism to maintain genomic integrity is recombination. Though early studies dismissed recombination as a mechanism driving repeat expansion and instability, recent results indicate that mitotic recombination is a key pathway operating within repetitive DNA. The action is two-fold: first, it is an important mechanism to repair nicks, gaps, breaks, or stalled forks to prevent chromosome fragility and protect cell health; second, recombination can cause repeat expansions or contractions, which can be deleterious. In this review, we summarize recent developments that illuminate the role of recombination in maintaining genome stability at DNA repeats.     

Fen1 does not control somatic hypermutability of the (CTG)(n)*(CAG)(n) repeat in a knock-in mouse model for DM1

The mechanism of trinucleotide repeat expansion, an important cause of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases, is poorly understood. We report here on the study of the role of flap endonuclease 1 (Fen1), a structure-specific nuclease with both 5' flap endonuclease and 5'-3' exonuclease activity, in the somatic hypermutability of the (CTG)(n)*(CAG)(n) repeat of the DMPK gene in a mouse model for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). By intercrossing mice with Fen1 deficiency with transgenics with a DM1 (CTG)(n)*(CAG)(n) repeat (where 104n110), we demonstrate that Fen1 is not essential for faithful maintenance of this repeat in early embryonic cleavage divisions until the blastocyst stage. Additionally, we found that the frequency of somatic DM1 (CTG)(n)*(CAG)(n) repeat instability was essentially unaltered in mice with Fen1 haploinsufficiency up to 1.5 years of age. Based on these findings, we propose that Fen1, despite its role in DNA repair and replication, is not primarily involved in maintaining stability at the DM1 locus.