Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) locus lacks linkage to human vitiligo or osteopetrosis: an evaluation.

The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) locus has been mapped to human chromosome 3p12-p14.1, and encodes a basic helix-loop-helix zipper (bHLH-ZIP) protein homologous to a number of transcription factors. Numerous mutations at the mouse microphthalmia (mi) locus have been described, and all have reduced or absent pigmentation of the eyes, ears, and/or pelage, with some genotypes exhibiting small or absent eyes and osteopetrosis. The mivit/vit mutation at the mouse mi locus produces a postnatal depigmentation that resembles human vitiligo. The mice homozygous for this mi allele show a progressive loss of cutaneous, hair and ocular pigmentation with age. Vitiligo, an acquired depigmentary disorder, is characterized by patchy depigmentation of skin that generally begins around puberty and tends to become more progressive over time. There is suggestive evidence that human vitiligo may be inherited; however, the mode of inheritance is still debated and the pathogenesis is not clearly delineated. The human disorder osteopetrosis is characterized by a generalized net accumulation of skeletal mass and results from reduced osteoclast function in the bone. This is an inherited disorder and has been associated with mi in a mutant mouse. Therefore, the possible involvement of the MITF locus in the pathogenesis of either familial vitiligo or osteopetrosis was investigated. Linkage analysis was performed using microsatellite polymorphic markers D3S2465, D3S1261, and D3S1766 on genomic DNA from 26 families with vitiligo/osteopetrosis. D3S1261 is physically located at or near the MITF locus, while D3S2465 and D3S1766 are flanking the locus at about 17.5 cM genetic distance each side. Evidence from LOD score analysis surprisingly indicated that none of the families with vitiligo or osteopetrosis are linked to these short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs). Thus, the human homolog (MITF) of the mouse mi gene, a good candidate gene at the phenotypic level, may not be involved in the pathogenesis of familial human vitiligo or osteopetrosis.

Unified display of Arabidopsis thaliana physical maps from AtDB, the A.thaliana database.

In the past several years, there has been a tremendous effort to construct physical maps and to sequence the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. As a result, four of the five chromosomes are completely covered by overlapping clones except at the centromeric and nucleolus organizer regions (NOR). In addition, over 30% of the genome has been sequenced and completion is anticipated by the end of the year 2000. Despite these accomplishments, the physical maps are provided in many formats on laboratories' Web sites. These data are thus difficult to obtain in a coherent manner for researchers. To alleviate this problem, AtDB (Arabidopsis thaliana DataBase, URL: http://genome-www.stanford.edu/Arabidopsis/) has constructed a unified display of the physical maps where all publicly available physical-map data for all chromosomes are presented through the Web in a clickable, 'on-the-fly' graphic, created by CGI programs that directly consult our relational database.

AtDB, the Arabidopsis thaliana database, and graphical-web-display of progress by the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative.

AtDB, the Arabidopsis thaliana Database, has a primary role to provide public access to the collected genomic information for A. thaliana via the World Wide Web (URL: http://genome-www.stanford. edu/ ). AtDB presents interactive physical and genetics maps that are hyperlinked with detailed information about the clones and markers placed on these maps. A large literature collection on Arabidopsis , contact information on researchers worldwide, laboratory method manuals and other information useful to plant molecular biologists are also provided. This paper discusses the database-driven clickable displays that provide easy navigation within a variety of genomic maps, including those summarizing progress of the international Arabidopsis genomic sequencing effort, AGI (the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative). The interface uses client-side hyperlinked GIF-images that direct the user to detailed database-information. A new BLAST service is also described. This gives users access to the thousands of Arabidopsis BAC clone end-sequences and includes hyperlinked images summarizing the search results. The linking of genetic and physically mapped regions and their sequence into information for loci within that region is an ongoing goal for this project.

Linkage and physical mapping of X-linked lissencephaly/SBH (XLIS): a gene causing neuronal migration defects in human brain.

While disorders of neuronal migration are associated with as much as 25% of recurrent childhood seizures, few of the genes required to establish neuronal position in cerebral cortex are known. Subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) and lissencephaly (LIS), two distinct neuronal migration disorders producing epilepsy and variable cognitive impairment, can be inherited alone or together in a single pedigree. Here we report a new genetic locus, XLIS, mapped by linkage analysis of five families and physical mapping of a balanced X;2 translocation in a girl with LIS. Linkage places the critical region in Xq21-q24, containing the breakpoint that maps to Xq22.3-q23 by high-resolution chromosome analysis. Markers used for somatic cell hybrid and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses place the XLIS region within a 1 cM interval. These data suggest that SBH and X-linked lissencephaly are caused by mutation of a single gene, XLIS, that the milder SBH phenotype in females results from random X-inactivation (Lyonization), and that cloning of genes from the breakpoint region on X will yield XLIS.

Linkage analysis with multiplexed short tandem repeat polymorphisms using infrared fluorescence and M13 tailed primers.

The use of short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) as marker loci for linkage analysis is becoming increasingly important due to their large numbers in the human genome and their high degree of polymorphism. Fluorescence-based detection of the STRP pattern with an automated DNA sequencer has improved the efficiency of this technique by eliminating the need for radioactivity and producing a digitized autoradiogram-like image that can be used for computer analysis. In an effort to simplify the procedure and to reduce the cost of fluorescence STRP analysis, we have developed a technique known as multiplexing STRPs with tailed primers (MSTP) using primers that have a 19-bp extension, identical to the sequence of an M13 sequencing primer, on the 5' end of the forward primer in conjunction with multiplexing several primer pairs in a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The banding pattern is detected with the addition of the M13 primer-dye conjugate as the sole primer conjugated to the fluorescent dye, eliminating the need for direct conjugation of the infrared fluorescent dye to the STRP primers. The use of MSTP for linkage analysis greatly reduces the number of PCR reactions. Up to five primer pairs can be multiplexed together in the same reaction. At present, a set of 148 STRP markers spaced at an average genetic distance of 28 cM throughout the autosomal genome can be analyzed in 37 sets of multiplexed amplification reactions. We have automated the analysis of these patterns for linkage using software that both detects the STRP banding pattern and determines their sizes. This information can then be exported in a user-defined format from a database manager for linkage analysis.

Nucleus-associated microtubules help determine the division plane of plant epidermal cells: avoidance of four-way junctions and the role of cell geometry.

To investigate the spatial relationship between the nucleus and the cortical division site, epidermal cells were selected in which the separation between these two areas is large. Avoiding enzyme treatment and air drying, Datura stramonium cells were labeled with antitubulin antibodies and the three-dimensional aspect of the cytoskeletons was reconstructed using computer-aided optical sectioning. In vacuolated cells preparing for division, the nucleus migrates into the center of the cell, suspended by transvacuolar strands. These strands are now shown to contain continuous bundles of microtubules which bridge the nucleus to the cortex. These nucleus-radiating microtubules adopt different configurations in cells of different shape. In elongated cells with more or less parallel side walls, oblique strands radiating from the nucleus to the long side walls are presumably unstable, for they are progressively realigned into a transverse disc (the phragmosome) as broad, cortical, preprophase bands (PPBs) become tighter. The phragmosome and the PPB are both known predictors of the division plane and our observations indicate that they align simultaneously in elongated epidermal cells. These observations suggest another hypothesis: that the PPB may contain microtubules polymerized from the nuclear surface. In elongated cells, the majority of the radiating microtubules, therefore, come to anchor the nucleus in the transverse plane, consistent with the observed tendency of such cells to divide perpendicular to the long axis. In nonrectangular isodiametric epidermal cells, which approximate regular hexagons in section, the radial microtubular strands emanating from the nucleus tend to remain associated with the middle of each subtending cell wall. The strands are not reorganized into a single dominant transverse bar, but remain as a starlike array until mitosis. PPBs in these cells are not as tight; they may only be a sparse accumulation of microtubules, even forming along non-diametrical radii. This arrangement is consistent with the irregular division patterns observed in epidermal mosaics of isodiametric D. stramonium cells. The various conformations of the radial strands can be modeled by springs held in two-dimensional hexagonal frames, and by soap bubbles in three-dimensional hexagonal frames, suggesting that the division plane may, by analogy, be selected by minimal path criteria. Such behavior offers a cytoplasmic explanation of long-standing empirically derived "rules" which state that the new cell wall tends to meet the maternal wall at right angles. The radial premitotic strands and their analogues avoid taking the longer path to the vertex of an angle where a cross wall is already present between neighboring cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Neurosarcomatous malignant melanoma arising in a neuroid giant congenital melanocytic nevus.

We report a case of neuroid giant congenital melanocytic nevus (GCMN) in which a malignant schwannomalike tumor developed. Literature review reveals that neurosarcomatous differentiation occurs among malignant tumors arising in GCMNs, apparently with greater incidence in those GCMNs showing benign neuroid differentiation. Although the differences between neuroid melanocytes and Schwann's cells may be more conceptual than real, we believe that the current tumor arising within a melanocytic nevus is likely of neuroid melanocytic origin and best designated as neurosarcomatous malignant melanoma.

Reye syndrome associated with aspirin therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 14-year-old girl in whom Reye syndrome developed during aspirin therapy for an inflammatory disorder proven to be systemic lupus erythematosus is reported. This case and similar cases of Reye syndrome in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis suggest that an etiologic relationship exists between salicylate therapy and Reye syndrome in children with collagen vascular disorders.

Association of Rhizobium Strains with Roots of Trifolium repens.

TWO TECHNIQUES WERE USED TO ASSESS THE BINDING OF RHIZOBIA TO CLOVER ROOTS: indirect counting after radiolabeling the bacteria and direct counting by using phase-contrast microscopy. Microscopic observations revealed a large variability in the number of bacteria associated with individual root hairs. This variability made unbiased counting by microscopy difficult. Systematic examination of all visible root hairs and "blind" counting of coded strains and treatments were adopted to minimize observer bias. The validity of the radiolabeling method was also examined in some detail. The reproducibility of results from this method was satisfactory. However, drawbacks of this method included its lack of sensitivity and its failure to distinguish between bacteria attached to mature root hairs, emerging root hairs, and undifferentiated epidermal cells. The method also failed to distinguish between individual bacteria and any aggregates that may be present. The ability of a number of chosen mutant strains of Rhizobium trifolii and their corresponding parent strains, as well as a number of nonhomologous strains, to bind to clover roots was assessed by using both of these methods. Our results gave no indication of specificity of R. trifolii binding to clover roots. 2-Deoxy-d-glucose did not appear to have a major inhibitory effect on the attachment of rhizobia to the host root, which suggests that lectin cross-bridging is not an obligatory step in the initiation of infection even though it may occur under some conditions. The presence or absence of the symbiotic plasmid was not correlated with bacterial adherence to the host plant root. Since host specificity functions are carried on this plasmid, our results suggest that binding of rhizobia to the legume root is not the basis of host specificity.

Mucosal ganglioneuromatosis associated with multiple colonic polyps.

Two unusual cases of colonic ganglioneuromatosis are described. One case was associated with multiple adenomatous polyps in a 74-year-old man and the second case was associated with juvenile polyps in a 16-year-old boy. To our knowledge this is the first report of colonic mucosal ganglioneuromatosis associated with multiple adenomatous polyps and the second report associated with multiple juvenile polyps. In the first case the ganglioneuromatosis was found in colonic mucosa without adenomatous changes, while in the second case ganglioneuromatosis was found both within normal mucosa and within juvenile polyps. The relationship between mucosal ganglioneuromatosis and multiple colonic polyps remains unclear. Neither patient has yet developed features to suggest either multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2b or von Recklinghausen's disease.