Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0025362 (mental retardation)
 15,878 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The presence of an extra copy of human chromosome 21 (trisomy 21), especially region 21q22.2, causes many phenotypes in Down syndrome, including mental retardation. To study genes potentially responsible for some of these phenotypes, we cloned a human candidate gene (DYRK) from 21q22.2 and its murine counterpart (Dyrk) that are homologous to the Drosophila minibrain (mnb) gene required for neurogenesis and to the rat Dyrk gene (dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase). The three mammalian genes are highly conserved, >99% identical at the protein level over their 763-amino-acid (aa) open reading frame; in addition, the mammalian genes are 83% identical over 414 aa to the smaller 542-aa mnb protein. The predicted human DYRK and murine Dyrk proteins both contain a nuclear targeting signal sequence, a protein kinase domain, a putative leucine zipper motif, and a highly conserved 13-consecutive-histidine repeat. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and regional mapping data localize DYRK between markers D21S336 and D21S337 in the 21q22.2 region. Northern blot analysis indicated that both human and murine genes encode approximately 6-kb transcripts. PCR screening of cDNA libraries derived from various human and murine tissues indicated that DYRK and Dyrk are expressed both during development and in the adult. In situ hybridization of Dyrk to mouse embryos (13, 15, and 17 days postcoitus) indicates a differential spatial and temporal pattern of expression, with the most abundant signal localized in brain gray matter, spinal cord, and retina. The observed expression pattern is coincident with many of the clinical findings in trisomy 21. Its chromosomal locus (21q22. 2), its homology to the mnb gene, and the in situ hybridization expression patterns of the murine Dyrk combined with the fact that transgenic mice for a YAC to which DYRK maps are mentally deficient suggest that DYRK may be involved in the abnormal neurogenesis found in Down syndrome.
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PMID:Isolation of human and murine homologues of the Drosophila minibrain gene: human homologue maps to 21q22.2 in the Down syndrome "critical region". 897 10

Williams syndrome (WS) is a contiguous gene deletion disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of genes at 7q11.23. We have shown that hemizygosity of elastin is responsible for one feature of WS, supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS). We have also implicated LIM-kinase 1 hemizygosity as a contributing factor to impaired visual-spatial constructive cognition in WS. However, the common WS deletion region has not been completely characterized, and genes for additional features of WS, including mental retardation, infantile hypercalcemia, and unique personality profile, are yet to be discovered. Here, we present a physical map encompassing 1.5 Mb DNA that is commonly deleted in individuals with WS. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of 200 WS individuals shows that WS individuals have the consistent deletion interval. In addition, we identify three novel genes from the common deletion region: WS-betaTRP, WS-bHLH, and BCL7B. WS-betaTRP has four putative beta-transducin (WD40) repeats, and WS-bHLH is a novel basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLHZip) gene. BCL7B belongs to a novel family of highly conserved genes. We describe the expression profile and genomic structure for each of these genes. Hemizygous deletion of one or more of these genes may contribute to developmental defects in WS.
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PMID:Complete physical map of the common deletion region in Williams syndrome and identification and characterization of three novel genes. 986 Mar 2

In an attempt to define the distinctive Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) phenotype, and to map its specific clinical manifestations, a total of eight patients carrying a 4p16.3 microdeletion were analyzed for their clinical phenotype and their respective genotypes. The extent of each individual deletion was established by fluorescence in situ hybridization, with a cosmid contig spanning the genomic region from MSX1 (distal half of 4p16.1) to the subtelomeric locus D4S3359. The deletions were 1.9-3.5 Mb, and all were terminal. All the patients presented with a mild phenotype, in which major malformations were usually absent. It is worth noting that head circumference was normal for height in two patients (those with the smallest deletions [1.9 and 2.2 Mb]). The currently accepted WHS critical region (WHSCR) was fully preserved in the patient with the 1.9-Mb deletion, in spite of a typical WHS phenotype. The deletion in this patient spanned the chromosome region from D4S3327 (190 b4 cosmid clone included) to the telomere. From a clinical point of view, the distinctive WHS phenotype is defined by the presence of typical facial appearance, mental retardation, growth delay, congenital hypotonia, and seizures. These signs represent the minimal diagnostic criteria for WHS. This basic phenotype maps distal to the currently accepted WHSCR. Here, we propose a new critical region for WHS, and we refer to this region as "WHSCR-2." It falls within a 300-600-kb interval in 4p16.3, between the loci D4S3327 and D4S98-D4S168. Among the candidate genes already described for WHS, LETM1 (leucine zipper/EF-hand-containing transmembrane) is likely to be pathogenetically involved in seizures. On the basis of genotype-phenotype correlation analysis, dividing the WHS phenotype into two distinct clinical entities, a "classical" and a "mild" form, is recommended for the purpose of proper genetic counseling.
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PMID:Mapping the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome phenotype outside the currently accepted WHS critical region and defining a new critical region, WHSCR-2. 1256 61

The leucine zipper-, EF-hand-containing transmembrane protein 1 (LETM1) has recently been cloned in an attempt to identify genes deleted in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), a microdeletion syndrome characterized by severe growth and mental retardation, hypotonia, seizures, and typical facial dysmorphic features. LETM1 is deleted in almost all patients with the full phenotype and has recently been suggested as an excellent candidate gene for the seizures in WHS patients. We have shown that LETM1 is evolutionarily conserved throughout the eukaryotic kingdom and exhibits homology to MDM38, a putative yeast protein involved in mitochondrial morphology. Using LETM1-EGFP fusion constructs and an anti-rat LetM1 polyclonal antibody we have demonstrated that LETM1 is located in the mitochondria. The present study presents information about a possible function for LETM1 and suggests that at least some (neuromuscular) features of WHS may be caused by mitochondrial dysfunction.
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PMID:LETM1, a gene deleted in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, encodes an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial protein. 1470 54

Availability of the human genome sequence promises important progress in the understanding of human pathologies, particularly for multifactorial diseases. Among these, Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent genetic cause of mental retardation. A critical region of chromosome 21, the Down syndrome Chromosomal Region-1 (DCR-1), is responsible for many features of the DS phenotype including mental retardation. We studied DCR-1 C21orf5 as a new candidate gene for DS considering its restricted expression in key brain regions altered in DS patients and involved in learning and memory processes. To elucidate C21orf5 molecular function, we performed a comparative study of protein sequences in several species and showed that C21orf5 represents a new member of the Dopey leucine zipper-like family. The C21orf5 C-termini contains two highly conserved leucine-like zipper domains in invertebrate and vertebrate species. Evolution analysis indicated a common ancestral origin of these protein sequences also suggesting a conserved function of this gene throughout phylogenesis. Mutations of the known C21orf5 homologous genes Aspergillus nidulans DopA, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dop1 and Caenorhabditis elegans pad1, determine morphological abnormalities. We studied transgenic mice carrying the human C21orf5 gene and we showed that this gene is overexpressed in brain regions by in situ hybridization and by real-time RT-PCR experiments. Interestingly, we also showed that these transgenic mice have an increased density of cortical cells overexpressing C21orf5. Similarly, DS patients have an altered lamination pattern in their cortex. Considering together our and previous findings, we suggest that the human dopey family member, C21orf5, could play a role in brain morphogenesis and, when overexpressed, it could participate in neurological features and mental retardation observed in DS patients.
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PMID:C21orf5, a new member of Dopey family involved in morphogenesis, could participate in neurological alterations and mental retardation in Down syndrome. 1630 51