The mapping and visual ordering of the human syndecan-1 and N-myc genes near the telomeric region of chromosome 2p.

The chromosomal locations of the human and mouse syndecan genes have been shown to associate with the corresponding locations of members of the myc gene family, proto-oncogenes that code for transcription factors. Here, we demonstrate the precise localization and order of the human syndecan-1 and N-myc genes using fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques that provide different levels of resolution. By visualizing the actual centromere-telomere orientation of these two genes, the human syndecan-1 gene is localized to 2p23-24, just centromeric to the N-myc gene at 2p24.1.

Structural organization and genomic sequence of mouse syndecan-1 gene.

Syndecan-1 is an integral membrane proteoglycan, which binds several extracellular matrix components and growth factors. Its expression follows morphogenetic rather than histological patterns during embryonic development and is regulated by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during organogenesis. Malignant transformation has been shown to suppress syndecan-1 expression. In order to understand better the regulation of syndecan-1 expression, we have determined the structural organization of mouse syndecan-1 gene. Several genomic clones were isolated, covering the entire 23-kilobase (kb) syndecan-1 gene. All five exons, four introns, and the 5'- and 3'-flanking regions were sequenced. The first intron was very long (17,582 base pairs (bp)) if compared with the others that were only a few hundred nucleotides in length. The first exon contained only the signal sequence and exons II-IV all the glycosaminoglycan binding sites. The fifth exon resided both transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, which are known to be conserved among the members of the syndecan family. This genomic structure explains why these members could have heterologous extracellular domains and homologous transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. Syndecan-1 gene was shown by primer extension analysis to have three transcription initiation sites which were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. These initiation sites were found to locate -217, -266, and -591 bp from described cDNA (Saunders, S., Jalkanen, M., O'Farrell, S., and Bernfield, M. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 108, 1547-1556). Within the 5'-end of the gene a 2000-bp-long CpG nucleotide-rich sequence resembling a CpG island was found, which started from the transcription initiation sites and ended in the first intron. At the 3'-end of the gene an other polyadenylation signal sequence was revealed 638 bp downstream from the first one. The two mRNAs (2.6 kb and 3.4 kb) were shown to be produced by alternative polyadenylation.

Usefulness of chromosome 19 RFLP haplotypes in the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy.

Three DNA probes (APOC2, PSC11, and LDR152) detecting RFLP polymorphisms were used to test the usefulness of the RFLP approach in myotonic dystrophy (MD) families from the isolated Finnish population. The informativeness of these polymorphisms did not differ from that reported in more mixed populations: in the 13 families of the study most of the 79 meiotic events studied were informative. One known recombinant is included in the study. The highest lod score obtained in the multilocus linkage analysis was z = 5.941 at recombination fraction theta = 0.02. The RFLP results significantly facilitated genetic counseling in problematic cases among the families studied. Although evidence could be found for linkage disequilibrium of the RFLP haplotypes formed in Finnish MD patients, our results do not exclude the possible existence of more than one ancient MD mutation in this population.

Linkage disequilibrium detected between dystrophia myotonica and APOC2 locus in the Finnish population.

Three polymorphic loci APOC2, CKMM and p134C were used to haplotype 15 Finnish dystrophia myotonica (DM) families representing about one third of all DM patients in this isolated population. Compound APOC2 and CKMM haplotypes reveal linkage disequilibrium: 90% of DM chromosomes co-occur with the haplotypes that occur in 31% of normal chromosomes only. The same disequilibrium is present when only polymorphisms occurring at the APOC2 locus are used. Surprisingly, no statistically significant linkage disequilibrium was discovered at the CKMM locus alone. Of the meiotic events, 84% were informative when both APO2 and CKMM loci were used. When studied selectively, 60% of meiotic events were informative at the APOC2 locus, whereas CKMM alone resulted in 65% meiotic informativeness. The distal marker p134C was found to have an unfortunately low information content in our population.