Uniparental disomy (UPD) for several human chromosomes is associated with clinical abnormalities. We report the case of a 2-year-old boy with severe intrauterine and post-natal growth retardation (IUGR/PNGR) and highly variable sweat chloride concentrations. The patient was identified as heterozygous for the F508del mutation of the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene. Unexpectedly, the signal corresponding to the maternally inherited F508del allele appeared much more intense than the paternally derived wild allele. Molecular analysis including polymorphic marker studies, microsatellites and single-nucleotide polymorphisms subsequently showed that the boy was a carrier of a de novo mosaic maternal isodisomy of a chromosome 7 segment while there was a biparental inheritance of the rest of the chromosome. This is the first report of a mosaic partial UPD7. The matUPD7 segment at 7q21-qter extends for 72.7 Mb. The karyotype (550 bands) of our patient was normal, and fluorescence in situ hybridization with probes mapping around the CFTR gene allowed us to rule out a partial duplication. The detection of this chromosomal rearrangement confirms the hypothesis that the 7q31-qter segment is a candidate for the localization of human imprinted genes involved in the control of IUGR and PNGR. It also emphasizes the importance of searching for UPD7 in severe, isolated and unexplained IUGR and PNGR.
We have investigated the chromosome abnormalities in a female patient exhibiting mild nonsyndromic mental retardation. The patient carries a de novo balanced reciprocal translocation 46,XX,t(2;7)(q24.1;q36.1). Physical mapping of the breakpoints by fluorescent in situ hybridization experiments revealed the disruption of the GPD2 gene at the 2q24.1 region. This gene encodes the mitochondrial glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (mGPDH), which is located on the outer surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and catalyzes the unidirectional conversion of glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) to dihydroxyacetone phosphate with concomitant reduction of the enzyme-bound FAD. Molecular and functional studies showed approximately a twofold decrease of GPD2 transcript level as well as decreased activity of the coded mGPDH protein in lymphoblastoid cell lines of the patient compared to controls. Bioinformatics analysis allowed us to confirm the existence of a novel transcript of the GPD2 gene, designated GPD2c, which is directly disrupted by the 2q breakpoint. To validate GPD2 as a new candidate gene for mental retardation, we performed mutation screening of the GPD2 gene in 100 mentally retarded patients; however, no mutations have been identified. Nevertheless, our results propose that a functional defect of the mGPDH protein could be associated with mental retardation, suggesting that GPD2 gene could be involved in mental retardation in some cases.
Macrosomia, obesity, macrocephaly, and ocular abnormalities syndrome (MOMO syndrome) has been reported in only four patients to date. In these sporadic cases, no chromosomal or molecular abnormality has been identified thus far. Here, we report on the clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular findings in a child of healthy consanguineous parents suffering from MOMO syndrome. Conventional karyotyping revealed an inherited homozygous balanced reciprocal translocation (16;20)(q21;p11.2). Uniparental disomy testing showed bi-parental inheritance for both derivative chromosomes 16 and 20. The patient's oligonucleotide array-comparative genomic hybridization profile revealed no abnormality. From the homozygous balanced reciprocal translocation (16;20)(q21;p11.2), a positional cloning strategy, designed to narrow 16q21 and 20p11.2 breakpoints, revealed the disruption of a novel gene located at 20p11.23. This gene is now named LINC00237, according to the HUGO (Human Genome Organization) nomenclature. The gene apparently leads to the production of a non-coding RNA. We established that LINC00237 was expressed in lymphocytes of control individuals while normal transcripts were absent in lymphocytes of our MOMO patient. LINC00237 was not ubiquitously expressed in control tissues, but it was notably highly expressed in the brain. Our results suggested autosomal recessive inheritance of MOMO syndrome. LINC00237 could play a role in the pathogenesis of this syndrome and could provide new insights into hyperphagia-related obesity and intellectual disability.
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