Defects in TCIRG1 subunit of the vacuolar proton pump are responsible for a subset of human autosomal recessive osteopetrosis.

Osteopetrosis includes a group of inherited diseases in which inadequate bone resorption is caused by osteoclast dysfunction. Although molecular defects have been described for many animal models of osteopetrosis, the gene responsible for most cases of the severe human form of the disease (infantile malignant osteopetrosis) is unknown. Infantile malignant autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (MIM 259700) is a severe bone disease with a fatal outcome, generally within the first decade of life. Osteoclasts are present in normal or elevated numbers in individuals affected by autosomal recessive osteopetrosis, suggesting that the defect is not in osteoclast differentiation, but in a gene involved in the functional capacity of mature osteoclasts. Some of the mouse mutants have a decreased number of osteoclasts, which suggests that the defect directly interferes with osteoclast differentiation. In other mutants, it is the function of the osteoclast that seems to be affected, as they show normal or elevated numbers of non-functioning osteoclasts. Here we show that TCIRG1, encoding the osteoclast-specific 116-kD subunit of the vacuolar proton pump, is mutated in five of nine patients with a diagnosis of infantile malignant osteopetrosis. Our data indicate that mutations in TCIRG1 are a frequent cause of autosomal recessive osteopetrosis in humans.

Autosomal recessive osteopetrosis: report of 41 novel mutations in the TCIRG1 gene and diagnostic implications.

UNLABELLED: Here we report 41 novel mutations in the TCIRG1 gene that is responsible for the disease in more than 50% of ARO patients. The characterisation of mutations in this gene might be useful in the process of drug design for osteoporosis treatment. INTRODUCTION: Autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (ARO) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder due to reduced bone resorption by osteoclasts. In this process, a crucial role is played by the proton pump V-ATPase. Biallelic mutations in the TCIRG1 gene, encoding for the a3 subunit of this pump, are responsible for more than one half of ARO patients. METHODS: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of ARO have been collected for 7 years and mutation analysis of the TCIRG1 gene was performed using direct DNA sequencing of PCR-amplified exons according to both a standard protocol and a modified one. RESULTS: We report here 41 novel mutations identified in 67 unpublished patients, all with biallelic mutations. In particular, we describe two novel large genomic deletions and two splice site mutations in the 5' UTR of the TCIRG1 gene, in patients previously classified as mono-allelic. CONCLUSIONS: Our data highlights the importance of two large genomic deletions and mutations in the 5' UTR with respect to patient management and, more critically, to prenatal diagnosis. With the present work, we strongly contribute to the molecular dissection of TCIRG1-deficient ARO and identify several protein residues which are fundamental for proton pump function and could thus be the target of future drugs designed to inhibit osteoclast resorptive activity.

Mutations in conserved regions of the predicted RAG2 kelch repeats block initiation of V(D)J recombination and result in primary immunodeficiencies.

The V(D)J recombination reaction is composed of multiple nucleolytic processing steps mediated by the recombination-activating proteins RAG1 and RAG2. Sequence analysis has suggested that RAG2 contains six kelch repeat motifs that are predicted to form a six-bladed beta-propeller structure, with the second beta-strand of each repeat demonstrating marked conservation both within and between kelch repeat-containing proteins. Here we demonstrate that mutations G95R and DeltaI273 within the predicted second beta-strand of repeats 2 and 5 of RAG2 lead to immunodeficiency in patients P1 and P2. Green fluorescent protein fusions with the mutant proteins reveal appropriate localization to the nucleus. However, both mutations reduce the capacity of RAG2 to interact with RAG1 and block recombination signal cleavage, therefore implicating a defect in the early steps of the recombination reaction as the basis of the clinical phenotype. The present experiments, performed with an extensive panel of site-directed mutations within each of the six kelch motifs, further support the critical role of both hydrophobic and glycine-rich regions within the second beta-strand for RAG1-RAG2 interaction and recombination signal recognition and cleavage. In contrast, multiple mutations within the variable-loop regions of the kelch repeats had either mild or no effects on RAG1-RAG2 interaction and hence on the ability to mediate recombination. In all, the data demonstrate a critical role of the RAG2 kelch repeats for V(D)J recombination and highlight the importance of the conserved elements of the kelch motif.

Molecular cloning of ILP-2, a novel member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family.

Inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP)-like protein-1 (ILP-1) (also known as X-linked IAP [XIAP] and mammalian IAP homolog A [MIHA]) is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis and exerts its effects, at least in part, by the direct association with and inhibition of specific caspases. Here, we describe the molecular cloning and characterization of a human gene related to ILP-1, termed ILP-2. Despite high homology to ILP-1, ILP-2 is encoded by a distinct gene, which in normal tissues is expressed solely in testis. In contrast to ILP-1, overexpression of ILP-2 had no protective effect on apoptosis mediated by Fas (also known as CD95) or tumor necrosis factor. However, ILP-2 potently inhibited apoptosis induced by overexpression of Bax or by coexpression of caspase 9 with Apaf-1, and preincubation of cytosolic extracts with ILP-2 abrogated caspase activation in vitro. A processed form of caspase 9 could be coprecipitated with ILP-2 from cells, suggesting a physical interaction between ILP-2 and caspase 9. Thus, ILP-2 is a novel IAP family member with restricted specificity for caspase 9.

A transgenic mouse model for the detection of cellular stress induced by toxic inorganic compounds.

Transgenic mice for genotoxicity testing have been developed, although no such models have been produced for the evaluation of toxic, nongenotoxic chemical compounds. We have developed a transgenic mouse model for the analysis of toxic inorganic compounds. We engineered a mouse lineage with the human growth hormone (hGH) gene under the control of the human hsp70 promoter, in which a plasma-detectable hGH response can be elicited by exposure to heat shock. In primary cell cultures from these mice, hGH release was observed following treatment with several toxic inorganics. Transgenic mice injected intraperitoneally with sodium arsenite, cadmium chloride, copper sulphate, or methylmercurium chloride showed significant hGH levels in plasma.

Establishment and characterization of new mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines derived from double transgenic mice expressing GFP and neu oncogene.

A new murine cell line, named GFPneu, was established from a mammary adenocarcinoma arising in double transgenic MMTVneu x CMV-GFP mice. Breast tumours develop in 100% of females after 2 months latency, as a result of the over-expression of the activated rat neu oncogene in the mammary glands. All tissues, and in particular the breast tumours, express the GFP protein. This cell line was tumorigenic when inoculated into nude mice and the derived tumours showed the same histological features as the primaries from which they were isolated. Their histopathology reproduces many characteristics of human breast adenocarcinomas, in particular their ability to metastasize. The GFP marker allows us to visualize the presence of lung metastases in fresh tissues immediately, to confirm the histopathology. From a lung metastatic fluorescent nodule, we derived a further cell line, named MTP-GFP, which we also characterized. These two cell lines could be useful to study the role played by the neu oncogene in the maintenance of the transformed phenotype, in the metastatic process, to test novel therapeutic strategies to inhibit primary tumour growth and to observe the generation of distant metastases.

Liposome-delivered angiostatin strongly inhibits tumor growth and metastatization in a transgenic model of spontaneous breast cancer.

The possibility to inhibit tumor growth by interfering with the formation of new vessels, which most neoplasias depend on, has recently raised considerable interest. An angiogenic switch, in which proliferating cells acquire the ability to direct new vessel formation, is thought to be an early step in the natural history of solid tumors. Using a transgenic model of breast cancer, which shows many similarities to its human counterpart, including ability to metastasize, we targeted angiostatin production to an early stage of tumor formation. Liposome-delivered angiostatin considerably delayed primary tumor growth and, more importantly, inhibited the appearance of lung metastases. These findings can be relevant to the design of therapeutic intervention in humans.

The human genes encoding renin-binding protein and host cell factor are closely linked in Xq28 and transcribed in the same direction.

The Xq28 chromosomal band represents a C+G-rich region onto which several genes have been mapped. In most cases, the exact relationship between the mapped genes has not yet been established, and neither the regulatory nor the spacer regions between the various transcription units have been defined. In the region around the L1CAM gene (encoding L1 cell adhesion molecule), the transcription units appear, from preliminary analyses, to be quite compact. By sequencing the region at the 3' end of the recently found host cell factor 1-encoding gene (HCFC1), we report that the renin-binding protein-encoding gene (RBP) major transcription start point lies 2763 bp downstream from the 3' end of HCFC1 and that both are transcribed in the same direction from the telomere to the centromere.

Identification and genomic organization of a gene coding for a new member of the cell adhesion molecule family mapping to Xq25.

The gene coding for a new member of the Immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain-containing molecule superfamily has been identified and mapped to the human Xq25 chromosomal band. It contains 12 Ig-like domains in two clusters of 5 and 7 motifs, respectively, separated by a linker segment, followed by a transmembrane and a cytoplasmic region. The gene is conserved in mammals and is expressed in muscle, heart, brain, testis, and pancreas with transcripts of different length, suggesting that it is subjected to alternative processing. The transcript is assembled from 19 exons which are distributed along approx. 20kb; each Ig-like domain is contained in distinct exons which constitute the unit of repeated genomic duplications. Elucidation of the IGDC1 genomic structure will allow the investigation of the basis of its alternative transcription and of its possible involvement in diseases mapped to the Xq25 interval.

Identification of a new member (ZNF183) of the Ring finger gene family in Xq24-25.

Four genes were mapped to the Xq24-25 region by searching the EST and the non-redundant database with short tracts of genomic sequences. These were random STSs present in the STS database or sequences derived from CpG islands (EagI-based STSs). One of the four matches corresponded to the full length transcript from the intronless glutamate dehydrogenase gene. The second was the human homolog of the bovine NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase MWFE subunit gene (GDB symbol: NDUFA1). The other two, ZNF183 and ITBA4, were novel genes whose function cannot directly be inferred from their sequence analysis. However, a known motif, the C3HC4 Ring finger domain, shared by various tumor suppressors, DNA repair genes and cytokine receptor-associated molecules, is present at the C terminus of the ubiquitously expressed ZNF183 gene. ITBA4 is expressed at various levels in different tissues and is alternatively processed in brain. Similarity search did not detect any significant match in databases. These results, together with others previously reported by our laboratory, suggest that comparison of genomic and transcribed sequences which are continuously accumulating in databases, can provide 'virtual' mapping of a substantial number of ESTs to the specific genomic region which the STSs have been derived from.

Mapping of the MYCL2 processed gene to Xq22-23 and identification of an additional L MYC-related sequence in Xq27.2.

We report here the identification of a human genomic sequence from the q27.2 region of the X chromosome which shows a high homology to the L-MYC proto-oncogene. This sequence is not the MYCL2 homology, previously mapped to the long arm of the X chromosome at q22-qter by Morton et al., as we located the MYCL2-processed gene in Xq22-23, using a panel containing a combination of hybrid DNA carrying different portions of the human X chromosome. Based on computer analysis, the MYC-like sequence (MYCL3) is 98.2% identical to a portion of exon 3 of the MYCL1 gene and maps to the Xq27.2 region, between the DXS312 and DXS292 loci.

Growth of human melanoma xenografts is suppressed by systemic angiostatin gene therapy.

The effect of local and systemic delivery of the angiostatin gene on human melanoma growth was studied in nude mice. Liposome-coated plasmids carrying the cDNA coding for murine and human angiostatin (CMVang and BSHang) were injected weekly, locally or systemically, in mice transplanted with melanoma cells. The treatment reduced melanoma growth by 50% to 90% compared to that occurring in control animals treated with liposome-coated plasmid carrying the lacZ gene or in untreated controls. The growth of both locally injected and controlateral uninjected tumors in mice bearing two melanoma grafts was significantly suppressed after intratumoral treatment. Tumor growth inhibition was also observed in mice treated by intraperitoneal delivery, suggesting that angiostatin gene therapy acts through a systemic effect. Both melanoma growth suppression and delay in the onset of tumor growth were observed in treated mice. PCR performed on tumors and normal tissues showed that the lipofected DNA was present in tissues from treated mice, and angiostatin expression was demonstrated by RT-PCR. Histopathological analysis of melanoma nodules revealed an increase in apoptotic cells and a reduction in vessel density in tumors from treated mice. Our results suggest that systemic, liposome-mediated administration of genes coding for antiangiogenic factors represents a promising strategy for melanoma treatment in humans.

Lymphoid abnormalities in CD40 ligand transgenic mice suggest the need for tight regulation in gene therapy approaches to hyper immunoglobulin M (IgM) syndrome.

Mutations in the CD40 ligand (CD40L) are responsible for human hyper immunoglobulin M (IgM) syndrome. The absence of the interaction between CD40L, expressed by T lymphocytes, and the CD40 receptor present on the surface of B cells is responsible for the inability of B cells to carry out the isotype switch from IgM to the other Ig classes. This leads to a fatal immunodeficiency for which no cure exists. For these reasons, the CD40L gene is a good candidate for gene therapy studies. To investigate the possible effects of the expression of this tightly regulated gene in vivo, we produced transgenic mice in which CD40L expression was deregulated. Widespread ectopic expression appears to be lethal. Overexpression in mature T cells is compatible with life, but in one-third of the cases, mice developed atypical lymphoid proliferations which, occasionally, progressed into frank lymphomas. Even though gene therapy is one of the most promising approaches to cure human hyper IgM syndrome, these results suggest that when we modify very tightly regulated genes such as cytokines or other growth factors, particular care has to be taken to avoid excessive stimulation of the target cells.

Studies on terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and adenosine deaminase in myasthenic thymus.

Thymic function in myasthenic patients was examined using two biochemical markers which specifically define a population of cortisone-sensitive cortical thymocytes. The enzymatic activities of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) were determined in 13 samples. High contents of both enzymes were found in young patients. The enzymatic activities were easily detectable also in the oldest patients, despite the morphological involution and the decrease in TdT which are known to occur with age in the normal thymus. TdT and ADA-containing cells were almost completely depleted in all the 3 treated patients by the corticosteroid treatment which provides a non-surgical alternative to the elimination of this lymphoid population by thymectomy. The persistence of TdT and ADA activity in old age, and their inhibition by the corticosteroid treatment.

Recombination activating gene and its defects.

Mutations in recombination activating genes cause a spectrum of severe immunodeficiencies ranging from T-B severe combined immunodeficiency to Omenn syndrome (a particular type of severe combined immunodeficiency presenting a T+ B- profile). Although environmental factors and genetic background could also contribute to the genesis of this pathological condition, a residual recombination activating gene activity allowing for a few recombinational events to occur, is the first determinant of this variability in the clinical picture.

Novel transthyretin missense mutation (Thr34) in an Italian family with hereditary amyloidosis.

We report on the genetic and molecular characterisation of an Italian family with a late-onset, autosomal dominant transthyretin amyloidosis. The transthyretin gene was analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction generating PCR, and sequencing, allowing us to discover in one allele a novel point mutation. It consists of a G to C transversion at position 1692 of the genomic sequence, leading to a Thr for Arg substitution at the position 34 of the polypeptidic chain. This mutation is associated with a severe sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy and a restrictive cardiomyopathy.

Androgen receptor gene (CAG)n repeat analysis in the differential diagnosis between Kennedy disease and other motoneuron disorders.

An increase in the number of (CAG)n repeats in the first coding exon of the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been strongly associated with Kennedy disease (KD) (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy). This is an X-linked hereditary disorder characterized by motoneuron degeneration occurring in adults together with gynecomastia and hyperestrogenemia. We have performed AR gene molecular analysis in several members of a large family with KD as well as in 25 sporadic patients suffering from heterogeneous motoneuron disease (MND). An increase in the length of the (CAG)n repeats was detected, as expected, in all the affected males and in obligatory carrier females, some of which had minor signs of lower motoneuron involvement. There was only one possible exception, one young male with initial signs of the disease, who had an apparent normal length allele. An increased pathological allele was also found in 3 patients with MND. This indicates that the analysis of (CAG)n repeats of the AR gene plays a role in the differential diagnosis of this heterogeneous group of neurological diseases.

Identification of CXorf1, a novel intronless gene in Xq27.3, expressed in human hippocampus.

We have identified and characterized a novel human gene (Nomenclature Committee of the Genome Database GDB-assigned symbol CXorf1) that maps to the long arm of the X chromosome in Xq27 between loci DXS369 and DXS181, approximately 2.5 Mb centromeric to the FMR1 gene. The CXorf1 gene is conserved in primates, cow, and horse but not in mouse and rat. Northern blot analysis revealed two transcripts, present in the brain and in the G361 melanoma cell line. In situ hybridization experiments performed on sections of human hippocampus showed a clear, uneven localization of the CXorf1 mRNA in specific subfields of this brain area. In particular, CXorf1 was localized in the granular-cell layer of the dentate gyrus and in the CA2-CA3 subfields of Ammon's horn. CXorf1 is one of the first genes from this region to be characterized in detail and, on the basis of its chromosomal location and expression pattern, may have an important function in the brain.

Lack of TdT and immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements in Hodgkin's disease.

To study the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease (HD), which today remains obscure, we have undertaken a combined experimental approach: determination of TdT and molecular analysis of rearrangements of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH), T-cell receptor (TCR) beta chain and the T-cell rearranging gamma (TRG) genes. TdT determination indicate would the presence of immature cells that are not detected in the normal lymphnode; molecular analysis of the rearrangements of these genes would reveal the presence of even a small monoclonal population of both T and B lineages in the lymphnodes. We believe that the combination of these two types of analysis can indicate whether an expanding lymphoid clone is responsible for this disease. TdT determination was negative in all 41 cases tested. Gene rearrangements were studied in 10 cases for IgH and TCR beta genes and in 5 cases for the TRG gene. No abnormal band beside the germ-line ones was detected in any of our cases, ruling out the presence of a minor neoplastic population. We can explain these results in at least three ways: first, the neoplastic population could represent less than 1% of the total, thus escaping detection by current techniques; second, the neoplastic population is not lymphoid in nature or is composed of mature cells that do not rearrange Ig and TCR genes and therefore belongs to a true non-B, non-T lineage; third, the pathogenesis of HD is completely different from that of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and does not involve the clonal expansion of a cell frozen at a particular maturative stage as is thought to happen in most NHL.

Studies of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in normal and neoplastic human cells.

Optimized biochemical assays and cytoimmunofluorescence tests were used to detect terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, TdT, in malignant cells of 36 leukemias and 75 lymphomas from patients not receiving chemotherapy. TdT was virtually absent from normal lymph nodes and from leukocytes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, CLL, taken as controls. Its quantitative distribution in the neoplasms matched the current knowledge. Appreciable amounts of TdT were found in all the 10 lymphomas of lymphoblastic type, LL, and in the white blood cells of: 16 out of 19 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, AAL, perhaps with modulation in the various phenotypes; 2 out of 3 acute undifferentiated leukemias, AUL; and 3 out of 7 blastic crises in chronic myelogenous leukemia, b.c. CML. Biochemical and cytoimmunological analyses yielded concordant responses and even roughly comparable estimates in the same patients. TdT immunofluorescence was clearly nuclear in most cells and was cytoplasmic occasionally. Definite correlations between concentrations of enzymatic activity and percentage of immunofluorescent cells could not e established. Further detailed work will be required to identify putative subgroups in TdT-positive blast populations.