title: Identification of a novel mutant transcript of laminin alpha 2 chain gene responsible for muscular dystrophy and dysmyelination in dy2J mice.
abstract: Murine dystrophia muscularis-2J (dy2J) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by muscular dystrophy and dysmyelination of peripheral nerve. Biochemical characterization of dy2J mice revealed the expression of a mutant laminin alpha 2 chain with a smaller molecular weight in the basal lamina of striated muscle and peripheral nerve. DNA sequencing of the alpha 2 chain cDNA amplified by RT-PCR from dy2J mice identified a novel and predominant transcript with a 171 base in-frame deletion. We also confirmed an underlying splice donor site mutation in the alpha 2 chain gene of the dy2J mouse. Translation of this variant transcript would result in the expression of a truncated alpha 2 chain having a 57 amino acid deletion (residues 34-90) and a substitution of Gln91Glu in the N-terminal domain VI, which is presumed to be involved in self-aggregation of laminin heterotrimers. Thus, the mutant alpha 2 chain could disrupt the formation of the laminin network and lead to muscle cell degeneration. Our results provide a molecular basis of muscular dystrophy and dysmyelination of peripheral nerve.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sunada
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bernier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Utani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017931:DNA Primers; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D007797:Laminin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000235:genetics*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007797:Laminin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C058783:laminin beta2