Maple syrup urine disease due to a new large deletion at BCKDHA caused by non-homologous recombination

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Quental, S (Author) Other; Martins, E (Author) Other; Vilarinho, L (Author) Other; Amorim, A (Author) FCUP; Joao Prata, MJ (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease

Vol. 31

Pages: S457-S460

ISSN: 0141-8955

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 4 Citations

Scopus - 5 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Clinical medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-TJN

DOI: 10.1007/s10545-008-1046-z

Abstract (EN): Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a rare disorder of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism caused by the defective function of branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKD). Many MSUD-causing mutations have already been described in genes that encode the complex (BCKDHA, BCKDHB and DBT), but up to now only four large deletions are known, all located in the DBT gene. In a previous study we identified a Portuguese MSUD patient with a homozygous deletion of exons 2, 3 and 4 at the BCKDHA gene; however, the corresponding breakpoints and, consequently, the exact deletion extension were not identified. Here, using long-range PCR and sequencing methodologies we were able to refine the characterization of this gross rearrangement. A genomic DNA loss of about 13.8 kb was detected, starting at intron 1 and ending at intron 4, thus encompassing exons 2, 3 and 4. Molecular characterization showed that the deletion junction contained a short sequence whose motif was CGGG. Since this motif is present in introns 1 and 4 of normal genomic DNA, we have hypothesized that non-homologous recombination was the mechanism underlying the identified large deletion, within which the CGGG could be derived either from intron 1 or from intron 4.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 4