Genetic analysis of eight breast-ovarian cancer families with suspected BRCA1 mutations.

BRCA1 is a breast cancer-related tumor suppressor gene located on human chromosome 17q21. Inherited mutations in BRCA1 are thought to be responsible for approximately half of all inherited breast cancer and to confer increased risk for ovarian, colon, or prostate cancer. Studies of affected families and population-based studies have provided some information on the prevalence of BRCA1 mutations in Caucasian U.S. and European populations as well as on the penetrance of these mutations. We review the available data on the epidemiology of breast cancer with specific reference to BRCA1. In addition, we describe the genetic analysis of one large family with multiple affected individuals now known to harbor a BRCA1 germline mutation but initially identified by genetic linkage analysis. This family is presented as a model of the challenges that can be encountered in genetic analysis of familial forms of cancer. To this end, we compare the outcome of analysis before and after the identification of a mutation that predisposes family members to early-onset breast and ovarian cancers. We describe seven additional families with evidence of linkage between breast cancer and genetic markers in the BRCA1 region. Each of these families generated a 2-point LOD (i.e., logarithm of the odds) score greater than 1.18 for at least one polymorphic marker flanking BRCA1. These families have formed the basis of our efforts to characterize BRCA1 mutations. First-pass mutation analysis using the single-strand conformation polymorphism approach failed to identify any mutations in the seven families. We consider the possible reasons for the apparent low mutation-detection efficiency.

Identification of two cosmids derived from within chromosomal band 3p21.1 that contain clusters of rare restriction sites and evolutionarily conserved sequences.

We have isolated large numbers of human recombinants from a cosmid library constructed from an interspecific (hamster/human) somatic cell hybrid whose only human component is an intact chromosome 3. Unique sequence probes were isolated from these recombinants and were used to localize them along the length of chromosome 3 by hybridization to a somatic cell hybrid deletion panel. We identified two cosmids, cA84 (D3S92) and cA199 (D3S93), derived from within chromosomal band 3p21.1. Both cosmids contained multiple rare restriction sites that were tightly clustered within the cosmids. We have therefore identified, in a region consistently deleted in a variety of lung cancers, two cosmids that may contain genes that are candidates for involvement in lung cancer.

Region-specific cosmids and STRPs identified by chromosome microdissection and FISH.

A strategy for identifying short tandem repeat (STR)-containing cosmid clones from a specific chromosomal region is described. The approach is based on the use of uncloned, PCR-amplified DNA derived from chromosome microdissection and pooled groups of STR sequences as hybridization probes to screen a cosmid library. Cosmid clones that display a positive signal common to both hybridizations are then characterized for repeat length polymorphisms. This method has been applied to chromosome bands 17q12-q21, a region that includes a gene (BRCA1) involved in early onset familial breast and ovarian cancer. Of 1536 chromosome 17-specific cosmid clones tested, 38 were identified by the dual screening procedure. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that 19 cosmids originated from the microdissected target region. Thirteen of the 19 cosmids were mapped between markers flanking the BRCA1 region and selected for further characterization. Tetranucleotide repeats were identified in 10 of these 13 cosmids. Primers designed for each marker were tested on a panel of 80 CEPH parents for allele sizes, frequencies, and observed heterozygosities. From these studies six polymorphic and one nonpolymorphic STRs were identified. A similar approach should be applicable for screening whole genomic or chromosome-specific cosmid libraries in efforts to isolate new polymorphic markers from any chromosomal region of interest.

Characterization of 10 new polymorphic dinucleotide repeats and generation of a high-density microsatellite-based physical map of the BRCA1 region of chromosome 17q21.

A familial early onset breast cancer gene (BRCA1) has been localized to chromosome 17q21. To aid in the identification of this gene a number of new microsatellite markers from the D17S857 to D17S78 region were isolated and characterized. These markers, along with previously published markers from the region, were localized on a physical map by STS content mapping of cosmids from the BRCA1 interval. This high-density STS map of the BRCA1 region will be useful for linkage studies of families with apparent inherited breast cancer and for loss of heterozygosity analysis of breast tumor DNAs.

Isolation of tetranucleotide repeat polymorphisms flanking the BRCA1 gene.

Large pools of cosmids from the BRCA1 region of human chromosome 17 were screened for tetranucleotide repeat polymorphisms by hybridizing shotgun subcloned pools with a mixture of 25 oligonucleotides. Identified subclones were PCR amplified and directly sequenced to design PCR primers for short tandem repeat polymorphism (STRP) analysis of family DNAs. With the identification of the BRCA1 gene and the observation that most mutations in this > 100-kb gene are unique, haplotyping and linkage analysis may play a significant role in diagnosis and carrier detection of BRCA1-associated breast and ovarian cancers. We report the characterization of 15 new STRPs flanking the BRCA1 locus.

BRCA1 maps proximal to D17S579 on chromosome 17q21 by genetic analysis.

Previous studies have demonstrated linkage between early-onset breast cancer and ovarian cancer and genetic markers on chromosome 17q21. These markers define the location of a gene (BRCA1) which appears to be inherited as an autosomal dominant susceptibility allele. We analyzed five families with multiple affected individuals for evidence of linkage to the BRCA1 region. Two of the five families appear to be linked to BRCA1. One apparently linked family contains critical recombinants, suggesting that the gene is proximal to the marker D17S579 (Mfd188). These findings are consistent with the maximum-likelihood position estimated by the Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium and with recombination events detected in other linked families. Linkage analysis was greatly aided by PCR-based analysis of paraffin-embedded normal breast tissue from deceased family members, demonstrating the feasibility and importance of this approach. One of the two families with evidence of linkage between breast cancer and genetic markers flanking BRCA1 represents the first such family of African-American descent to be reported in detail.