[Analysis of a family with 11ß-hydroxylase deficiency due to a mutation in the CYP11B1 gene].

This study reports a family of patients with 11ß-hydroxylase deficiency (11ß-OHD) caused by a novel mutation in the CYP11B1 gene, and analyzes its clinical and genetic characteristics. The clinical data of a patient with intractable hypertension at Air Force Medical Center on May 16, 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The patient was clinically diagnosed with congenital adrenal cortical hyperplasia. The clinical data of the patient were further collected and the peripheral blood samples of the patient, his parents and his sister were collected for CYP11B1(NM_000497) gene sequencing, suggesting that the patient had compound heterozygous mutations in exon 1:c.199delG, p.Glu67Lysfs*9 and exon 5:c.905_907 delATGinsTT, p.Asp302Valfs*23, both of which were pathogenic variants. The patient's father and sister carried heterozygous mutations in exon 1:c.199delG, p.Glu67Lysfs*9, and the mother carried heterozygous mutations in exon 5:c.905_907delATGinsTT, p.Asp302Valfs*23. This study is the first to report a new compound heterozygous mutation in exon 1:c.199delG and exon 5 c.905_907 delATGinsTT of CYP11B1 gene, enriching the database of 11ß-OHD mutations and providing information to further understand the genetic mechanism of the disease.

Polymorphisms of the cocaine-amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) gene and their association with reproductive traits in Chinese goats.

Polymorphisms of the CART gene were investigated by PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis in 540 samples from 10 goat breeds. Ten novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms as well as three microsatellites were detected; a mutation, 77T → C, led to an amino acid change (Leu → Ser). Associations between polymorphic loci and reproductive traits were analyzed in Chuandong White, Guizhou White and Gulin Ma breeds. Mutation at position 524 had no significant effect on litter size in these three goat breeds. The polymorphism 539C → A differed significantly among the three breeds (P < 0.05); C(7)T(8)/C(9)T(8) at 939 was associated with larger litter size (P < 0.05) than genotypes C(7)T(8)/C(7)T(8) and C(7)T(8)/C(8)T(8). No significant association of birth weight was found with gene variation (524C → T, 539C → A and 939 CnTn). These findings could be valuable for marker-assisted selection for goat breeding.

Fibroblast growth factor receptors from liver vary in three structural domains.

Changes in heparin-binding fibroblast growth factor gene expression and receptor phenotype occur during liver regeneration and in hepatoma cells. The nucleotide sequence of complementary DNA predicts that three amino-terminal domain motifs, two juxtamembrane motifs, and two intracellular carboxyl-terminal domain motifs combine to form a minimum of 6 and potentially 12 homologous polypeptides that constitute the growth factor receptor family in a single human liver cell population. Amino-terminal variants consisted of two transmembrane molecules that contained three and two immunoglobulin-like disulfide loops, as well as a potential intracellular form of the receptor. The two intracellular juxtamembrane motifs differed in a potential serine-threonine kinase phosphorylation site. One carboxyl-terminal motif was a putative tyrosine kinase that contained potential tyrosine phosphorylation sites. The second carboxyl-terminal motif was probably not a tyrosine kinase and did not exhibit the same candidate carboxyl-terminal tyrosine phosphorylation sites.

High and low affinity binding of heparin-binding growth factor to a 130-kDa receptor correlates with stimulation and inhibition of growth of a differentiated human hepatoma cell.

The differentiated human hepatoblastoma-derived cell line, HepG2, displayed two classes of specific membrane receptors for heparin-binding growth factor type 1 (HBGF-1). Specific membrane receptors were distinguished from nonreceptor heparin-like binding sites. Receptors with an apparent Kd of 9.2 +/- 0.9 pM and present at 15,000 +/- 900/cell correlated with HBGF-1 stimulation of HepG2 growth. Receptors with an apparent Kd of 2 +/- 0.4 nM and present at 180,000 +/- 18,000/cell correlated with inhibition of growth and changes in secretory products. Other hepatoma cell lines exhibited a simple positive mitogenic response to HBGF-1 and a single class of high affinity binding sites. HBGF-1 covalently cross-linked to hepatoma cell surface polypeptides of apparent mean molecular mass of 130 kilodaltons. At 37 degrees C, receptor-bound HBGF-1 was internalized (t 1/2 = 45 min) but not degraded for up to 6 h. The display of receptors decreased with increased cell density and expression of HBGF-1 mRNA and HBGF-1-like activity in the culture medium. Proliferating normal human hepatocytes also exhibited two classes of binding sites with affinities for HBGF-1 and apparent molecular weight similar to HepG2 cells. These results implicate HBGF-1 or homologues in human hepatoma cell growth and normal liver cell regeneration.