Recessive mutations in the putative calcium-activated chloride channel Anoctamin 5 cause proximal LGMD2L and distal MMD3 muscular dystrophies.

The recently described human anion channel Anoctamin (ANO) protein family comprises at least ten members, many of which have been shown to correspond to calcium-activated chloride channels. To date, the only reported human mutations in this family of genes are dominant mutations in ANO5 (TMEM16E, GDD1) in the rare skeletal disorder gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia. We have identified recessive mutations in ANO5 that result in a proximal limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD2L) in three French Canadian families and in a distal non-dysferlin Miyoshi myopathy (MMD3) in Dutch and Finnish families. These mutations consist of a splice site, one base pair duplication shared by French Canadian and Dutch cases, and two missense mutations. The splice site and the duplication mutations introduce premature-termination codons and consequently trigger nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, suggesting an underlining loss-of-function mechanism. The LGMD2L phenotype is characterized by proximal weakness, with prominent asymmetrical quadriceps femoris and biceps brachii atrophy. The MMD3 phenotype is associated with distal weakness, of calf muscles in particular. With the use of electron microscopy, multifocal sarcolemmal lesions were observed in both phenotypes. The phenotypic heterogeneity associated with ANO5 mutations is reminiscent of that observed with Dysferlin (DYSF) mutations that can cause both LGMD2B and Miyoshi myopathy (MMD1). In one MMD3-affected individual, defective membrane repair was documented on fibroblasts by membrane-resealing ability assays, as observed in dysferlinopathies. Though the function of the ANO5 protein is still unknown, its putative calcium-activated chloride channel function may lead to important insights into the role of deficient skeletal muscle membrane repair in muscular dystrophies.

Activation of the unfolded protein response and alternative splicing of ATF6alpha in HLA-B27 positive lymphocytes.

Misfolding of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules has been implicated in the rheumatic autoimmune disease ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and has been linked to the unfolded protein response (UPR) in rodent AS models. XBP1 and ATF6alpha are two important transcription factors that initiate and co-ordinate the UPR. Here we show that misoxidised MHC class I heavy chains activate XBP1 processing in a similar manner to tunicamycin, with tunicamycin and dithiothreitol (DTT) inducing differential XBP1 processing. Unexpectedly, ATF6alpha mRNA is alternatively spliced during reducing stress in lymphocytes. This shorter ATF6alpha message lacks exon 7 and may have a regulatory role in the UPR.

Differential oxidation of HLA-B2704 and HLA-B2705 in lymphoblastoid and transfected adherent cells.

MHC class I molecules are predominantly involved in the presentation of antigens from viral proteins to CD8+ T cells of the immune system. However, MHC proteins can also be linked to autoimmune diseases, and the HLA-B27 allele is expressed by 95% of people with the rheumatic condition ankylosing spondylitis (AS). A precise molecular explanation for the association between HLA-B27 and AS is still lacking, although it is known that inappropriately disulfide bonded HLA-B27 heavy chains can be found at both the cell surface and in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of HLA-B27 expressing cells. This papers shows that HLA-B27 heavy chain misfolding does not depend on any unpaired cysteine residue per se when HLA-B27 is highly expressed. Also shown is that major differences exist in the disulfide-dependent conformations of two HLA-B27 subtypes, HLA-B2704 and HLA-B2705. The results imply that residues 77, 152, and/or 211 influence the redox potential of the MHC class I heavy chain and suggest that manipulating the redox environment can alter the conformational state of HLA-B27 subtypes.