Localization of the gene for familial dysautonomia on chromosome 9 and definition of DNA markers for genetic diagnosis.

Familial dysautonomia (DYS), the Riley-Day syndrome, is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by developmental loss of neurons from the sensory and autonomic nervous system. It is limited to the Ashkenazi Jewish population, where the carrier frequency is 1 in 30. We have mapped the DYS gene to chromosome 9q31-q33 by linkage with ten DNA markers in 26 families. The maximum lod score of 21.1 with no recombinants was achieved with D9S58. This marker also showed strong linkage disequilibrium with DYS, with one allele present on 73% of affected chromosomes compared to 5.4% of controls (chi 2 = 3142, 15 d.f. p < 0.0001). D9S53 and D9S105 represent the closest flanking markers for the disease gene. This localization will permit prenatal diagnosis of DYS in affected families and aid the isolation of the disease gene.

The human gene for neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 2 (NTRK2) is located on chromosome 9 but is not the familial dysautonomia gene.

The neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 2 (NTRK2) gene is a member of the trk family of tyrosine protein kinases, which encode receptors for the nerve growth factor-related proteins known as neurotrophins. The neurotrophins and their receptors have long been considered candidate genes for familial dysautonomia (FD), a hereditary sensory neuropathy resulting from the congenital loss of both sensory and autonomic neurons. The DYS gene has recently been mapped to human chromosome 9q31-q33, and therefore we set out to determine the chromosomal localization of the candidate gene NTRK2. A mouse trkB probe was hybridized to both somatic cell hybrids containing human chromosome 9 and a human chromosome 9 flow-sorted cosmid library. The human homologue of trkB, NTRK2, was assigned to chromosome 9. To localize the NTRK2 gene further, a dinucleotide repeat polymorphism was identified within a cosmid that contains NTRK2 exon sequences. This marker was genotyped in the CEPH reference pedigrees and places the NTRK2 gene near D9S1 on the proximal long arm of human chromosome 9. The NTRK2 gene is located approximately 22 cm proximal to DYS and shows several recombinants in disease families. Therefore, the NTRK2 gene can now be excluded as a candidate gene for familial dysautonomia.

Peripherin gene is linked to keratin 18 gene on human chromosome 12.

Peripherin is a neuron-specific intermediate filament (IF) protein, found primarily in phylogenetically old regions of the nervous system. Whereas other neuronal IF genes have only two to three introns and are scattered in the genome, the peripherin gene (PRPH) has a complex intron-exon structure like nonneuronal IF genes that are clustered in tandem arrays, e.g., those encoding the keratins. We used a cosmid containing the human peripherin gene (PRPH) to determine its chromosomal location in relationship to nonneuronal IF genes. Using a rodent-human mapping panel, we localized the PRPH gene to human chromosome 12. Since a cluster of keratin genes maps to 12q12-13, polymorphic markers were developed for PRPH and for one of the keratin genes presumed to be in the cluster, keratin 18 (KRT18). Both markers were typed in CEPH reference families. Pairwise and multipoint analyses of the CEPH data revealed that KRT18 is tightly linked to DNA markers D12S4, D12S22, D12S90, D12S96 and D12S103, which lie between D12S18 and D12S8, with odds greater than 1000:1. These markers are physically located at 12q11-13, thus supporting the fine localization of KRT18 in or near the group of type II keratins in this region. Furthermore, linkage analysis showed that the peripherin gene (PRPH) is tightly linked to KRT18 (Z = 15.73, theta = 0.013), and therefore appears to be in close proximity to the cluster.

Exclusion of familial dysautonomia from more than 60% of the genome.

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a recessive neurological disorder that affects the development of the sensory and autonomic nervous system. The gene defect appears to be limited to the Ashkenazi Jewish population, where the carrier frequency is 1 in 30. One hundred and ninety-one marker loci representing all autosomes were tested for linkage with the FD genetic defect in 23 families. A combination of pairwise and multipoint analyses excluded the FD gene from at least 60% of the autosomal genome. The program EXCLUDE predicted regions of chromosomes 2, 4, 5q, 9, or 10 as the most promising locations for future analyses.

Precise genetic mapping and haplotype analysis of the familial dysautonomia gene on human chromosome 9q31.

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by developmental arrest in the sensory and autonomic nervous systems and by Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. We previously had mapped the defective gene (DYS) to an 11-cM segment of chromosome 9q31-33, flanked by D9S53 and D9S105. By using 11 new polymorphic loci, we now have narrowed the location of DYS to <0.5 cM between the markers 43B1GAGT and 157A3. Two markers in this interval, 164D1 and D9S1677, show no recombination with the disease. Haplotype analysis confirmed this candidate region and revealed a major haplotype shared by 435 of 441 FD chromosomes, indicating a striking founder effect. Three other haplotypes, found on the remaining 6 FD chromosomes, might represent independent mutations. The frequency of the major FD haplotype in the Ashkenazim (5 in 324 control chromosomes) was consistent with the estimated DYS carrier frequency of 1 in 32, and none of the four haplotypes associated with FD was observed on 492 non-FD chromosomes from obligatory carriers. It is now possible to provide accurate genetic testing both for families with FD and for carriers, on the basis of close flanking markers and the capacity to identify >98% of FD chromosomes by their haplotype.