p62 overexpression induces TDP-43 cytoplasmic mislocalisation, aggregation and cleavage and neuronal death.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) that exist on a spectrum of neurodegenerative disease. A hallmark of pathology is cytoplasmic TDP-43 aggregates within neurons, observed in 97% of ALS cases and ~ 50% of FTLD cases. This mislocalisation from the nucleus into the cytoplasm and TDP-43 cleavage are associated with pathology, however, the drivers of these changes are unknown. p62 is invariably also present within these aggregates. We show that p62 overexpression causes TDP-43 mislocalisation into cytoplasmic aggregates, and aberrant TDP-43 cleavage that was dependent on both the PB1 and ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domains of p62. We further show that p62 overexpression induces neuron death. We found that stressors (proteasome inhibition and arsenic) increased p62 expression and that this shifted the nuclear:cytoplasmic TDP-43 ratio. Overall, our study suggests that environmental factors that increase p62 may thereby contribute to TDP-43 pathology in ALS and FTLD.

Early onset chromosome 14-linked distal myopathy (Laing).

A dominantly inherited form of distal myopathy with onset in early childhood was first reported in a 4-generation Australian family in 1995. In the present report we provide further information on the clinical phenotype and natural history of this myopathy, and on the electromyogram and magnetic resonance imaging findings in affected individuals. The pattern of muscle involvement was similar to that in the 'tibial' forms of distal myopathy such as the Finnish (Udd) and Markesbery-Griggs types, with additional involvement of the finger extensors and of some more proximal limb and neck muscles. However, the age of onset was earlier than in these other myopathies and rimmed vacuoles were not found in biopsies from two affected individuals. Evidence of possible anticipation was found in one branch of the family. The gene locus for this myopathy had been mapped to 14q11.2-q13. The linkage region has been refined to a 24 cM region between D14S283 and D14S49 and mutations have been excluded in the PABP2 gene for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy which lies within this region.

Mutations in the nebulin gene associated with autosomal recessive nemaline myopathy.

The congenital nemaline myopathies are rare hereditary muscle disorders characterized by the presence in the muscle fibers of nemaline bodies consisting of proteins derived from the Z disc and thin filament. In a single large Australian family with an autosomal dominant form of nemaline myopathy, the disease is caused by a mutation in the alpha-tropomyosin gene TPM3. The typical form of nemaline myopathy is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, the locus of which we previously assigned to chromosome 2q21.2-q22. We show here that mutations in the nebulin gene located within this region are associated with the disease. The nebulin protein is a giant protein found in the thin filaments of striated muscle. A variety of nebulin isoforms are thought to contribute to the molecular diversity of Z discs. We have studied the 3' end of the 20. 8-kb cDNA encoding the Z disc part of the 800-kDa protein and describe six disease-associated mutations in patients from five families of different ethnic origins. In two families with consanguineous parents, the patients were homozygous for point mutations. In one family with nonconsanguineous parents, the affected siblings were compound heterozygotes for two different mutations, and in two further families with one detected mutation each, haplotypes are compatible with compound heterozygosity. Immunofluorescence studies with antibodies specific to the C-terminal region of nebulin indicate that the mutations may cause protein truncation possibly associated with loss of fiber-type diversity, which may be relevant to disease pathogenesis.

A splice-site mutation causing ovine McArdle's disease.

McArdle's disease is an autosomal recessive myopathy with symptoms of exercise intolerance caused by deficiency of the enzyme muscle glycogen phosphorylase which releases glucose for contraction during exercise. The human cDNA has been sequenced and disease-causing mutations identified. An ovine equivalent of McArdle's disease has been diagnosed and the mutation responsible identified by PCR-amplification of the ovine glycogen myophosphorylase cDNA in six overlapping fragments followed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Two fragments showed SSCPs in the glycogen myophosphorylase cDNA from affected sheep. The SSCP in fragment one was a silent polymorphism, while that in fragment six, was an eight base deletion at the 5' end of exon 20. This deletion will cause a frame-shift, a premature stop codon and remove the last 31 amino-acid residues from the protein. The cDNA deletion suggested that the genomic mutation most likely involved a splice-site. Sequencing intron 19 identified the mutation as an adenine for guanine substitution at the intron 19 3' splice-site. This eliminated an XbaI site present in normal sheep allowing diagnosis of normal, affected and carrier sheep. This ovine model of McArdle's disease is now available for therapeutic trials.

Assignment of the human beta tropomyosin gene (TPM2) to band 9p13 by fluorescence in situ hybridisation.

A sequence tagged site (STS) was developed for the human beta tropomyosin gene (TPM2). The STS was used to amplify DNA from somatic cell hybrids to localise TPM2 to human chromosome 9. Genomic clones isolated with the STS product were in turn used in fluorescence in situ hybridisation to metaphase chromosome spreads to further localise TPM2 to 9p13.

A mutation in the alpha tropomyosin gene TPM3 associated with autosomal dominant nemaline myopathy.

Nemaline myopathies are diseases characterized by the presence in muscle fibres of pathognomonic rod bodies. These are composed largely of alpha-actinin and actin. We have identified a missense mutation in the alpha-tropomyosin gene, TPM3, which segregates completely with the disease in a family whose autosomal dominant nemaline myopathy we had previously localized to chromosome 1p13-q25. The mutation substitutes an arginine residue for a highly conserved methionine in a putative actin-binding site near the N terminus of the alpha-tropomyosin. The mutation may strengthen tropomyosin - actin binding, leading to rod body formation, by adding a further basic residue to the postulated actin-binding motif.

Assignment of the human a-tropomyosin gene TPM3 to 1q22-->q23 by fluorescence in situ hybridisation.

The human tropomyosin 3 (TPM3) gene was previously localized to chromosome 1. The non-muscle isoform of the TPM3 gene product becomes fused to a gene product from the tyrosine kinase receptor gene (NTRK1), previously localized to 1q23-->q24, to generate an active oncogene. Two sequence tagged sites spanning three exons and two introns in the carboxy coding region of the gene were used to localize TPM3 to 1q22-->q23 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. This localization now places the NTRK1 and TPM3 genes in close proximity, so that a gene fusion rearrangement would not be cytologically detected. The 1q22-->q23 localization of TPM3 is within the NEM1 locus associated with autosomal dominant nemaline myopathy, making TPM3 a candidate for this disorder.

Assignment of the human skeletal muscle alpha-tropomyosin gene (TPM1) to band 15q22 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

A sequence-tagged site (STS) was developed for the human skeletal muscle alpha-tropomyosin gene (TPM1) and used to isolate a genomic clone, lambda TPM1.1, containing part of the TPM1 gene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of this clone to metaphase chromosome spreads localised TPM1 to chromosome band 15q22. This localisation in humans is consistent with that recently described for the mouse.

Assignment of the human skeletal muscle alpha actin gene (ACTA1) to 1q42 by fluorescence in situ hybridisation.

The human skeletal muscle alpha actin gene (ACTA1) has previously been localized to 1p21-->qter using somatic cell hybrids and a specific probe from the 3' untranslated region of the gene. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization the localization has been confirmed and the ACTA1 gene precisely mapped to 1q42.

Assignment of the human slow skeletal muscle troponin gene (TNNI1) to 1q32 by fluorescence in situ hybridisation.

The human gene for slow-twitch skeletal muscle troponin I (TNNI1) has previously been mapped to 1q12-->qter using somatic cell hybrids. The TNNI1 locus has now been further localised to 1q32 using fluorescence in situ hybridization. This result confirms the previous assignment of this locus and maps the gene to a single chromosome band.

Assignment of a gene (NEMI) for autosomal dominant nemaline myopathy to chromosome I.

Nemaline myopathy (NEM) is a neuromuscular disorder characterized by the presence, in skeletal muscle, of nemaline rods composed at least in part of alpha-actinin. A candidate gene and linkage approach was used to localize the gene (NEM1) for an autosomal dominant form (MIM 161800) in one large kindred with 10 living affected family members. Markers on chromosome 19 that were linked to the central core disease gene, a marker at the complement 3 locus, and a marker on chromosome 1 at the alpha-actinin locus exclude these three candidate genes. The family was fully informative for APOA2, which is localized to 1q21-q23. NEM1 was assigned to chromosome 1 by close linkage for APOA2, which is localized to 1q21-q23. NEM1 was assigned to chromosome 1 by close linkage to APOA2, with a lod score of 3.8 at a recombination fraction of 0. Recombinants with NGFB (1p13) and AT3 (1q23-25.1) indicate that NEM1 lies between 1p13 and 1q25.1. In total, 47 loci were investigated on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-11, 14, 16, 17, and 19, with no indications of significant linkage other than to markers on chromosome 1.

Identification of Duchenne muscular dystrophy genomic probe P20 constant Taql fragment corresponding to the EcoRV and Mspl polymorphisms.

The majority of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy cases are caused by deletions observable in Southern blots with cDNA probes for the gene. When the deletion includes polymorphic probes, they may be used to determine carrier status by deletion segregation analysis: non-inheritance of parental alleles, or heterozygosity. The polymorphic genomic probe P20 is deleted in a large percentage of probands. P20 hybridizes with two constant fragments of 6.7 and 0.8 kb in Taql digests. In a number of probands, only the larger P20 Taql fragment is deleted. This study demonstrates that this fragment corresponds with the polymorphic EcoRV and Mspl fragments of P20. Families in which the upper Taql fragment is deleted may be screened for carrier status using non-inheritance of parental alleles or heterozygosity of P20 in EcoRV or Mspl digests.