Human lactate dehydrogenase-A mutant gene was isolated from the genomic DNA library of a patient deficient in LDH-A (Muscle) subunit. The nucleotide sequences of seven protein-coding exons were determined and a deletion of 20 base-pairs in exon 6 was found. This mutation results in a frame-shift translation and premature termination. The predicted incomplete LDH-A (M) subunit containing only 259 instead of 331 amino acids appears to be degraded rapidly, since no protein was detected immunologically (Maekawa et al., Am J Hum Genet 39:232-238, 1986). In addition, three synonymous (silent) substitutions, A to C, T to C, and G to A, were observed at codons 115, 160 and 172, respectively, in this LDH-A mutant gene.
Recent evidence has denied genetic abnormality as a mechanism of the C5 variant of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and proposed the binding of an unknown protein with the C4 component. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the coding sequences and non-translated sequences of the BChE gene at exons 1 to 4, 3q are structurally different in subjects having elevated BChE with and without the C5 variant phenotype. We also attempted to identify the unknown protein associated with the C5 variant and measured the BChE-specific activity in the C5 variant with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-BChE monoclonal antibody. We investigated five subjects, four of whom had elevated plasma BChE (three C5-positive [C5(+)] and one C5-negative [C5(-)]) and one control with a normal plasma BChE level. Direct DNA sequencing of the BChE gene revealed no relevant genetic mutations and no abnormal migrations in the genes of all five subjects. Precipitation of the patients' sera with anti-human immunoglobulin A (IgA), -IgG, -IgM, anti-human albumin antibodies had no effect on the BChE activity. The measured BChE activity in C5(+) was 30 to 54% higher than the activity calculated from BChE protein content. The present results suggest that the C5(+) phenotype is not associated with any genetic abnormality in the CHE1 locus, and BChE-specific activity is enhanced in the C5(+) variant. However, the exact nature of the unknown protein related to the C5(+) phenotype remains unclear.
An electrophoretic variant of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-B(H) subunit was discovered in a patient with diabetes mellitus. His LDH activity in serum was slightly lower than normal and the LDH isozyme pattern showed an abnormal migration indicating an LDH-B subunit variant of the fast type. The LDH containing the variant subunit revealed a decreased heat stability. DNA analysis of the variant allele detected a base substitution, an A to G transition, at codon 6 (AAA-->GAA). The mutation resulted in the replacement of a lysine by a glutamic acid (K6E). The change may cause the heat instability and affect the net charge of the variant subunit, resulting in an electrophoretic LDH-B subunit variant of the fast type.
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