Ascribing novel functions to the sarcomeric protein, myosin binding protein H (MyBPH) in cardiac sarcomere contraction.

Myosin binding protein H (MyBPH) is a protein of unknown function, which shares sequence and structural similarities with myosin binding protein C (cMyBPC), a protein frequently implicated in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Given the similarity between cMyBPC and MyBPH, we proposed that MyBPH, like cMyBPC, could be involved in HCM pathogenesis and we therefore sought to determine its function. We identified MyBPH-interacting proteins by using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis. The role of MyBPH and cMyBPC in cardiac cell contractility was analysed by measuring the planar cell surface area of differentiated H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes in response to ß-adrenergic stress after siRNA knockdown of MyBPH and cMyBPC. Individual knockdown of either protein had no effect on cardiac contractility, while concurrent knockdowns reduced cardiac contractility. These proteins therefore functionally compensate for one another and are critical for cardiac contractility. We further show that both proteins co-localise with the autophagosomal membrane protein LC3, suggesting that both proteins are involved in autophagosomal membrane maturation processes. The results of this study ascribe novel functions to MyBPH, which may contribute to our understanding of its role in the sarcomere. This study provides evidence for a potential role of MyBPH in HCM, which warrants further investigation.

Myomegalin is a novel A-kinase anchoring protein involved in the phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein C.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac contractility is regulated by dynamic phosphorylation of sarcomeric proteins by kinases such as cAMP-activated protein kinase A (PKA). Efficient phosphorylation requires that PKA be anchored close to its targets by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein-C (cMyBPC) and cardiac troponin I (cTNI) are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)-causing sarcomeric proteins which regulate contractility in response to PKA phosphorylation. RESULTS: During a yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) library screen using a trisphosphorylation mimic of the C1-C2 region of cMyBPC, we identified isoform 4 of myomegalin (MMGL) as an interactor of this N-terminal cMyBPC region. As MMGL has previously been shown to interact with phosphodiesterase 4D, we speculated that it may be a PKA-anchoring protein (AKAP).To investigate this possibility, we assessed the ability of MMGL isoform 4 to interact with PKA regulatory subunits R1A and R2A using Y2H-based direct protein-protein interaction assays. Additionally, to further elucidate the function of MMGL, we used it as bait to screen a cardiac cDNA library. Other PKA targets, viz. CARP, COMMD4, ENO1, ENO3 and cTNI were identified as putative interactors, with cTNI being the most frequent interactor.We further assessed and confirmed these interactions by fluorescent 3D-co-localization in differentiated H9C2 cells as well as by in vivo co-immunoprecipitation. We also showed that quantitatively more interaction occurs between MMGL and cTNI under ß-adrenergic stress. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of MMGL leads to reduction of cMyBPC levels under conditions of adrenergic stress, indicating that MMGL-assisted phosphorylation is requisite for protection of cMyBPC against proteolytic cleavage. CONCLUSIONS: This study ascribes a novel function to MMGL isoform 4: it meets all criteria for classification as an AKAP, and we show that is involved in the phosphorylation of cMyBPC as well as cTNI, hence MMGL is an important regulator of cardiac contractility. This has further implications for understanding the patho-aetiology of HCM-causing mutations in the genes encoding cMyBPC and cTNI, and raises the question of whether MMGL might itself be considered a candidate HCM-causing or modifying factor.

Investigating SAPAP3 variants in the etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania in the South African white population.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by repeated obsessions and compulsions. Trichotillomania (TTM), a psychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive hairpulling, is presently classified as an impulse control disorder, but has also been viewed as an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. Both conditions are complex disorders, with evidence from family and twin studies indicating that their etiology includes a genetic component. Results from a recent knockout animal model suggest that SAP90/PSD95-associated protein 3 (SAPAP3) may be involved in the pathophysiology of both disorders. METHODS: Seven polymorphic variants distributed across the gene encoding SAPAP3 were genotyped in South African white OCD (n = 172), TTM (n = 45), and control (n = 153) subjects. Single-locus and haplotype analyses were conducted to determine association between genetic variants and subjects with OCD, TTM, and controls. RESULTS: Although single-locus analysis revealed a significant association between rs11583978 in SAPAP3 and TTM, this association was nonsignificant after correction for multiple testing. In the OCD group, a significant association was observed between earlier age at onset and the A-T-A-T (rs11583978-rs7541937-rs6662980-rs4652867) haplotype compared with the C-G-G-G haplotype. CONCLUSIONS: This study generated preliminary evidence to link SAPAP3 variants to the development of earlier onset OCD. Future studies should concentrate on locating the susceptibility variant(s) by focusing on functional polymorphisms within SAPAP3.

The KCNE genes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a candidate gene study.

BACKGROUND: The gene family KCNE1-5, which encode modulating ß-subunits of several repolarising K+-ion channels, has been associated with genetic cardiac diseases such as long QT syndrome, atrial fibrillation and Brugada syndrome. The minK peptide, encoded by KCNE1, is attached to the Z-disc of the sarcomere as well as the T-tubules of the sarcolemma. It has been suggested that minK forms part of an "electro-mechanical feed-back" which links cardiomyocyte stretching to changes in ion channel function. We examined whether mutations in KCNE genes were associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic disease associated with an improper hypertrophic response. RESULTS: The coding regions of KCNE1, KCNE2, KCNE3, KCNE4, and KCNE5 were examined, by direct DNA sequencing, in a cohort of 93 unrelated HCM probands and 188 blood donor controls.Fifteen genetic variants, four previously unknown, were identified in the HCM probands. Eight variants were non-synonymous and one was located in the 3'UTR-region of KCNE4. No disease-causing mutations were found and no significant difference in the frequency of genetic variants was found between HCM probands and controls. Two variants of likely functional significance were found in controls only. CONCLUSIONS: Mutations in KCNE genes are not a common cause of HCM and polymorphisms in these genes do not seem to be associated with a propensity to develop arrhythmia.

The role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66met variant in the phenotypic expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Evidence suggests that the Val66Met variant of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene may play a role in the etiology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In this study, the role of the BDNF Val66Met variant in the etiology and the phenotypic expression of OCD is investigated. Associations between the BDNF Val66Met variant and OCD, obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) severity scores, age of onset and family history of obsessive-compulsive symptoms were assessed. The BDNF Val66Met variant was genotyped in 419 patients with sub-/clinical OCD and 650 controls. No differences in allele or genotype frequency were observed between cases and controls. In females with OCD, the Met66Met genotype was associated with later age of onset and a trend for a negative family history, whereas the Val66Val genotype was associated with a trend for lower YBOCS severity scores. Item-level factor analysis revealed six factors: 1) Contamination/cleaning; 2) Aggressive obsessions/checking; 3) Symmetry obsessions, counting, ordering and repeating; 4) Sexual/religious obsessions; 5) Hoarding and 6) Somatic obsessions/checking. A trend was found for a positive association between Factor 4 (Sexual/religious obsessions) and the BDNF Val66Val genotype. The results suggest that BDNF function may be implicated in the mediation of OCD. We found that for the BDNF Met66Met genotype may be associated with a milder phenotype in females and a possible role for the BDNF Val66Val genotype and the BDNF Val66 allele in the sexual/religious obsessions.

Troponin T and beta-myosin mutations have distinct cardiac functional effects in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients without hypertrophy.

AIMS: The validity of genotype:phenotype correlation studies in human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has recently been questioned, yet animal models and in vitro studies suggest distinct effects for different mutations. The aims of this study were to investigate whether distinct HCM-mutations have different consequences for cardiac structure and function in the absence of the confounding effects of hypertrophy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Individuals aged 20-65 belonging to 21 R92W(TNNT2), R403W(MYH7), or A797T(MYH7) mutation-bearing families were investigated with 2D, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography. Cardiac structural and functional parameters were compared between prehypertrophic mutation-carriers and their non-carrier family members, with concomitant adjustment for appropriate covariates. Findings were evaluated against existing animal and in vitro functional data. The distinct functional effect of the R92W(TNNT) mutation was a relative increase in systolic functional parameters, that of the A797T(MYH7) mutation was reduced diastolic function, while the R403W(MYH7) mutation reduced both systolic and diastolic function. The observed early effects of the R92W(TNNT2) mutation mechanistically fit with prolonged force-transients precipitated by increased Ca(2+) sensitivity of the thin filament, and that of the MYH7 mutations with local ATP depletion. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of the impact of the mutations on cardiac structure and function in prehypertrophic mutation-carriers, relative to the baseline norm provided by their non-carrier family members, best recapitulated existing animal and in vitro functional data, while inclusion of mutation-carriers with hypertrophy obscured such findings. The results prompt speculation that timely treatment aimed at ameliorating Ca(2+) sensitivity for R92W(TNNT2)-carriers, and energy depletion for MYH7 mutation-carriers, may offer a plausible approach for preventing progression from a preclinical into a decompensated state.

Genetic variation in angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene is associated with extent of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common, inherited cardiac muscle disease, is primarily caused by mutations in sarcomeric protein-encoding genes and is characterized by overgrowth of ventricular muscle that is highly variable in extent and location. This variability has been partially attributed to locus and allelic heterogeneity of the disease-causing gene, but other factors, including unknown genetic factors, also modulate the extent of hypertrophy that develops in response to the defective sarcomeric functioning. Components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are plausible candidate hypertrophy modifiers because of their role in controlling blood pressure and biological effects on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.

Investigating the role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66met variant in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Although evidence from family studies suggest that genetic factors play an important role in mediating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), results from genetic case-control association analyses have been inconsistent. Discrepant findings may be attributed to the lack of phenotypic resolution, and population stratification. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role that the val66met variant within the gene encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may play in mediating the development of selected OCD subtypes accounting for the aforementioned confounding factors. One hundred and twelve OCD subjects and 140 controls were selected from the South African Afrikaner population. A significant association was observed in the male subgroup, with the met66 allele implicated as the risk allele in the development of OCD. This allele was also found to be associated with an earlier age at onset of OCD in males. On the other hand, the val66val genotype was associated with more severe OCD in the female population. No evidence of population stratification was observed in Afrikaner control subjects. These preliminary results point towards genetically distinct characteristics of OCD mediated by dysfunctions in BDNF. The present investigation forms part of ongoing research to elucidate the genetic components involved in the aetiology of OCD and OCD-related characteristics.

Cluster analysis of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology: identifying obsessive-compulsive disorder subtypes.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous disorder. Different clinical subtypes may be characterized by differing pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment outcomes. METHODS: A cluster analysis was performed on 45 items of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Checklist (YBOCS-CL) for 261 patients with OCD. Cluster solutions emerging at different linkage distance levels, and the associations of identified clusters with demographic, clinical and relevant genetic variables, were investigated. RESULTS: A 6-cluster solution emerged at a linkage distance level of 1.5, and a 3-cluster solution emerged at a linkage distance level of 2.1. The 3 clusters in the latter solution were labeled I) Contamination / washing, II) Hoarding / symmetry / ordering, and III) Obsessional / checking. Increased Cluster III scores were associated with earlier age of OCD onset and the Met/Met (L/L) genotype of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. CONCLUSION: The data here are consistent with previous work delineating the different symptom subtypes of OCD, also with previous work suggesting that the Met/Met (L/L) genotype of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism may be associated with anxiety symptoms, as well as with previous work suggesting that dopaminergic genes may be particularly important in early-onset OCD.

Investigating the possible effects of trauma experiences and 5-HTT on the dissociative experiences of patients with OCD using path analysis and multiple regression.

Dissociation is defined as the disruption of the usually integrated functions of consciousness, such as memory, identity, and perceptions of the environment. Causes include various psychological, neurological and neurobiological mechanisms, none of which have been consistently supported. To our knowledge, the role of gene-environment interactions in dissociative experiences in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has not previously been investigated. Eighty-three Caucasian patients (29 male, 54 female) with a principal diagnosis of OCD were included. The Dissociative Experiences Scale was used to assess dissociation. The role of childhood trauma (assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), and a functional 44-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter, or 5-HTT, in mediating dissociation, was investigated using multiple regression analysis and path analysis using the partial least squares model. Both analyses indicated that an interaction between physical neglect and the S/S genotype of the 5-HTT gene significantly predicted dissociation in patients with OCD. Dissociation may be a predictor of poorer treatment outcome in patients with OCD; therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon may be useful. Here, two different but related statistical techniques (multiple regression and partial least squares), confirmed that physical neglect and the 5-HTT genotype jointly play a role in predicting dissociation in OCD.

Genetic correlates in trichotillomania--A case-control association study in the South African Caucasian population.

BACKGROUND: Trichotillomania (TTM), a prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive hair-pulling, is presently classified as an impulse control disorder (ICD). Some have argued, however, that TTM is an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD). There is some evidence that both disorders (OCD and TTM) are mediated by serotonergic (5-HT) and dopaminergic pathways. METHODS: The aim of the present investigation was to assess the role of candidate genes encoding components within the 5-HT and dopaminergic neurotransmitter pathways in mediating TTM. South African Caucasian TTM subjects (n=39), OCD (n=250) and control subjects (n=152) were genotyped for variants in 5-HT and dopaminergic candidate genes. RESULTS: Both genotypic and allelic distributions of the 5-HT receptor 2A (5-HT2A) T102C variant were found to be significantly different between the TTM and control subjects (p=0.028 and p=0.024, respectively), and a trend towards significance was noted between the TTM and OCD subjects (p=0.084 and p=0.080 for genotype and allele analyses, respectively), with the T102T-genotype found to confer susceptibility to the development of TTM. CONCLUSION: This investigation provides preliminary evidence for the involvement of 5-HT2A in the molecular aetiology of TTM and supports the need for further replication in a larger dataset. The present data are consistent with previous findings that 5-HT2A plays a role in mediating impulse dyscontrol.

Hoarding in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic correlates.

OBJECTIVE: Hoarding may be an important symptom dimension in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Hoarding in OCD has been associated with poor insight, poorer response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors than other OCD symptom dimensions, and a distinctive psychobiological profile. The clinical and genetic correlates of hoarding in OCD therefore deserve additional investigation. METHOD: Adult OCD patients (N = 315) underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment that included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (Patient Edition) and for Diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. DNA extracted from venous blood (10-30 mL) in a Caucasian subset of the interviewed OCD patients (N = 204) and Caucasian controls (N = 169), including patients (N = 94) and controls (N = 138) of Afrikaner descent, was genotyped to investigate polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function and previously hypothesized to be relevant to OCD. Data were collected from 1998 through 2004. RESULTS: OCD patients with hoarding made up 18.1% of the total sample. Compared with nonhoarding OCD, OCD with hoarding was associated with a number of comorbid Axis I disorders, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, significantly higher OCD severity scores, and more functional impairment. In subjects of Afrikaner descent, the L/L genotype of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism was significantly more common in the OCD hoarding group, with a preponderance of low activity alleles, compared with nonhoarding patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data are consistent with the hypothesis that hoarding represents a unique symptom subtype in OCD with a distinctive clinical and psychobiological profile. Further work is needed to determine the psychobiological mechanisms responsible for hoarding and to replicate the genetic findings noted here.

Diagnostic disparity and identification of two TNNI3 gene mutations, one novel and one arising de novo, in South African patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy and focal ventricular hypertrophy.

INTRODUCTION: The minimum criterion for the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is thickening of the left ventricular wall, typically in an asymmetrical or focal fashion, and it requires no functional deficit. Using this criterion, we identified a family with four affected individuals and a single unrelated individual essentially with restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). Mutations in genes coding for the thin filaments of cardiac muscle have been described in RCM and HCM with 'restrictive features'. One such gene encodes for cardiac troponin I (TNNI3), a sub-unit of the troponin complex involved in the regulation of striated muscle contraction. We hypothesised that mutations in TNNI3 could underlie this particular phenotype, and we therefore screened TNNI3 for mutations in 115 HCM probands. METHODS: Clinical investigation involved examination, echocardiography, chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram of both the index cases and close relatives. The study cohort consisted of 113 South African HCM probands, with and without known founder HCM mutations, and 100 ethnically matched control individuals. Mutation screening of TNNI3 for diseasecausing mutations were performed using high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis. RESULTS: HRM analyses identified three previously described HCM-causing mutations (p.Pro82Ser, p.Arg162Gln, p.Arg170Gln) and a novel exonic variant (p.Leu144His). A previous study involving the same amino acid identified a p.Leu144Gln mutation in a patient presenting with RCM, with clinical features of HCM. We observed the novel p.Leu144His mutation in three siblings with clinical RCM and varying degrees of ventricular hypertrophy. The isolated index case with the de novo p.Arg170Gln mutation presented with a similar phenotype. Both mutations were absent in a healthy control group. CONCLUSION: We have identified a novel disease-causing p.Leu144His mutation and a de novo p.Arg170Gln mutation associated with RCM and focal ventricular hypertrophy, often below the typical diagnostic threshold for HCM. Our study provides information regarding TNNI3 mutations underlying RCM in contrast to other causes of a similar presentation, such as constrictive pericarditis or infiltration of cardiac muscle, all with marked right-sided cardiac manifestations. This study therefore highlights the need for extensive mutation screening of genes encoding for sarcomeric proteins, such as TNNI3 to identify the underlying cause of this particular phenotype.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and the promoter region polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4): a negative association study in the Afrikaner population.

A polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) has been reported to have functional significance and to be associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, other studies have generated confounding results. A study was undertaken to re-evaluate this association in subjects drawn from the relatively genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population of South Africa. Fifty-four OCD patients of Afrikaner descent and 82 ethnically matched control individuals were phenotyped and genotyped. No significant association was found between the distribution of the 5-HTTLPR genotypes at the SLC6A4 locus and OCD. A similar result (p = 0.108) was generated when a meta-analysis of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, combining the current study with a previously reported Caucasian group, was performed; the meta-study comprised 129 OCD patients and 479 control individuals. However, both studies lacked power. Therefore, evidence that variation in SLC6A4 plays a significant role in the development of OCD in the population groups studied is inconclusive. Future association studies in Caucasian populations may extend the power of such meta-analyses and assist in delineating the role of SLC6A4 in OCD.

Gender in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic findings.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a homogeneous entity. It has been suggested that gender may contribute to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty patients (n=220; 107 male, 113 female) with DSM-IV OCD (age: 36.40+/-13.46) underwent structured interviews. A subset of Caucasian subjects (n=178), including subjects from the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population (n=81), and of matched control subjects (n=161), was genotyped for polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function. Clinical and genetic data were statistically analyzed across gender. RESULTS: Compared with females, males with OCD (1) had an earlier age of onset, and a trend toward having more tics and worse outcome, (2) had somewhat differing patterns of OCD symptomatology and axis I comorbidity, and (3) in the Caucasian group, were more likely to have the high activity T allele of the EcoRV variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) gene compared to controls, and (4) in the Afrikaner subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the C allele at the G861C variant of the 5HT(1D beta) gene than controls. Females with OCD (1) reported more sexual abuse during childhood than males, (2) often noted changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the premenstrual/menstrual period as well as during/shortly after pregnancy, and with menopause, and (3) in the Caucasian subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the low activity C allele of the EcoRV variant of the MAO-A gene compared to controls, with this allele also more frequent in female patients than controls. CONCLUSION: This study supports the hypothesis that gender contributes to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. A sexually dimorphic pattern of genetic susceptibility to OCD may be present. Further work is, however, needed to delineate the mechanisms that are responsible for mediating the effects of gender.

Corrigendum to "gender in obsessive-compulsive disorder: clinical and genetic findings" [Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 14 (2004) 105-113].

BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a homogeneous entity. It has been suggested that gender may contribute to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty patients (n=220; 107 male, 113 female) with DSM-IV OCD (age: 36.40 +/- 13.46) underwent structured interviews. A subset of Caucasian subjects (n=178), including subjects from the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population (n=81), and of matched control subjects (n=161), was genotyped for polymorphisms in genes involved in monoamine function. Clinical and genetic data were statistically analyzed across gender. RESULTS: Compared with females, males with OCD (1) had an earlier age of onset, and a trend toward having more tics and worse outcome, (2) had somewhat differing patterns of OCD symptomatology and axis I comorbidity, and (3) in the Caucasian group, were more likely to have the high activity T allele of the EcoRV variant of the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) gene compared to controls, and (4) in the Afrikaner subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the G allele at the G861C variant of the 5HT1Dbeta gene than controls. Females with OCD (1) reported more sexual abuse during childhood than males, (2) often noted changes in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the premenstrual/menstrual period as well as during/shortly after pregnancy, and with menopause, and (3) in the Caucasian subgroup, were more frequently homozygous for the low activity C allele of the EcoRV variant of the MAO-A gene compared to controls, with this allele also more frequent in female patients than controls. CONCLUSION: This study supports the hypothesis that gender contributes to the clinical and biological heterogeneity of OCD. A sexually dimorphic pattern of genetic susceptibility to OCD may be present. Further work is, however, needed to delineate the mechanisms that are responsible for mediating the effects of gender.

Investigating the role of dopaminergic and serotonergic candidate genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

There is increasing evidence that the aetiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a marked genetic component, although the precise mechanism of inheritance is unclear. Clinical and pharmacological studies have implicated the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in disease pathogenesis. This study investigated the role of attractive candidate genes in the serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways in the development of OCD. The distribution of selected polymorphic variants in the serotonin receptor type 2A and 1Dbeta (5-HT(2A), 5-HT(1Dbeta)), dopamine transporter (DAT), dopamine receptor type 4 (DRD4) and monoamine-oxidase A (MAO-A) genes were analysed in 71 OCD cases and 129 control individuals in the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population, by means of case-control association studies. Although no statistically significant genotypic or allelic associations were detected, the data yielded interesting preliminary results that warrant further discussion and investigation.

Early- versus late-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder: investigating genetic and clinical correlates.

There is increasing evidence that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is mediated by genetic factors. Although the precise mechanism of inheritance is unclear, recent evidence has pointed towards the involvement of the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in the disorder's development. Furthermore, early-onset OCD appears to be a subtype that exhibits distinct clinical features and that is associated with greater familial loading. In the present investigation, South African OCD patients (n=252) were stratified according to age of onset and were clinically assessed. Additionally, selected variants in genes encoding serotonergic and dopaminergic components were investigated in a Caucasian OCD subset (n=180). This subgroup was further stratified to evaluate the role that these candidate genes may play in the genetically homogeneous Afrikaner subset (n=80). Analysis of the clinical data revealed an association between early age of onset and an increased frequency of tics, Tourette's disorder, and trichotillomania (TTM). The genetic studies yielded statistically significant results when the allelic distributions of genetic variants in the dopamine receptor type 4 gene (DRD4) were analysed in the Caucasian OCD cohort. These data support a role for the dopaminergic system, which may be relevant to the development of early-onset OCD.

AKAP9 is a genetic modifier of congenital long-QT syndrome type 1.

BACKGROUND: Long-QT syndrome (LQTS), a cardiac arrhythmia disorder with variable phenotype, often results in devastating outcomes, including sudden cardiac death. Variable expression, independently from the primary disease-causing mutation, can partly be explained by genetic modifiers. This study investigates variants in a known LQTS-causative gene, AKAP9, for potential LQTS-type 1-modifying effects. METHODS AND RESULTS: Members of a South African LQTS-type 1 founder population (181 noncarriers and 168 mutation carriers) carrying the identical-by-descent KCNQ1 p.Ala341Val (A341V) mutation were evaluated for modifying effects of AKAP9 variants on heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), cardiac events, and disease severity. Tag single nucleotide polymorphisms in AKAP9 rs11772585, rs7808587, rs2282972, and rs2961024 (order, 5'-3'positive strand) were genotyped. Associations between phenotypic traits and alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes were statistically assessed, adjusting for the degree of relatedness and confounding variables. The rs2961024 GG genotype, always represented by CGCG haplotype homozygotes, revealed an age-dependent heart rate-corrected QT interval increase (1% per additional 10 years) irrespective of A341V mutation status (P=0.006). The rs11772585 T allele, found uniquely in the TACT haplotype, more than doubled (218%) the risk of cardiac events (P=0.002) in the presence of A341V; additionally, it increased disease severity (P=0.025). The rs7808587 GG genotype was associated with a 74% increase in cardiac event risk (P=0.046), whereas the rs2282972 T allele, predominantly represented by the CATT haplotype, decreased risk by 53% (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AKAP9 has been identified as an LQTS-type 1-modifying gene. Variants investigated altered heart rate-corrected QT interval irrespective of mutation status, as well as cardiac event risk, and disease severity, in mutation carriers.

Mitochondrial haplogroups modify the risk of developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a Danish population.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in genes coding for proteins involved in sarcomere function. The disease is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Evolutionarily developed variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), defining mtDNA haplogroups and haplogroup clusters, is associated with functional differences in mitochondrial function and susceptibility to various diseases, including ischemic cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that mtDNA haplogroups, in particular H, J and K, might modify disease susceptibility to HCM. Mitochondrial DNA, isolated from blood, was sequenced and haplogroups identified in 91 probands with HCM. The association with HCM was ascertained using two Danish control populations. Haplogroup H was more prevalent in HCM patients, 60% versus 46% (p = 0.006) and 41% (p = 0.003), in the two control populations. Haplogroup J was less prevalent, 3% vs. 12.4% (p = 0.017) and 9.1%, (p = 0.06). Likewise, the UK haplogroup cluster was less prevalent in HCM, 11% vs. 22.1% (p = 0.02) and 22.8% (p = 0.04). These results indicate that haplogroup H constitutes a susceptibility factor and that haplogroup J and haplogroup cluster UK are protective factors in the development of HCM. Thus, constitutive differences in mitochondrial function may influence the occurrence and clinical presentation of HCM. This could explain some of the phenotypic variability in HCM. The fact that haplogroup H and J are also modifying factors in ischemic cardiomyopathy suggests that mtDNA haplotypes may be of significance in determining whether a physiological hypertrophy develops into myopathy. mtDNA haplotypes may have the potential of becoming significant biomarkers in cardiomyopathy.