title: Identification of new mutations in sterol 27-hydroxylase gene in Japanese patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX).
abstract: Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a hereditary sterol storage disease associated with accumulation of cholesterol and cholestanol in various tissues, especially tendons and neural tissues. The biochemical defect that causes CTX is a deficiency of the mitochondrial sterol 27-hydroxylase which oxidizes the side chain of cholesterol in connection with formation of bile acids. Japan has a relatively high prevalence of CTX and more cases of the disease are found here than in any other country. In the present study two new different point mutations are described in the heme-ligand binding domain of the sterol 27-hydroxylase gene in three Japanese CTX patients and one CTX heterozygote. Two of the homozygotes as well as the heterozygote subject have a single base substitution of A for G at codon 441 [CGG (Arg) to CAG (Gln)]. Another homozygote has a transition of C to T at codon 441 [CGG (Arg) to TGG (Trp)]. These two different mutations result in two restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) for the enzymes StuI or HpaII. We also assayed sterol 27-hydroxylase activity using skin fibroblasts derived from three CTX patients, one CTX heterozygote, and normal subjects. While two of the homozygous subjects have undetectable levels of the enzyme activity, one homozygous subject and one heterozygous subject have decreased levels of the enzyme activity, about 1.4% and 10% of normal, respectively. The results suggest that the newly identified point mutations in the sterol 27-hydroxylase gene could account for the sterol 27-hydroxylase deficiency in the Japanese CTX patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Chemistry and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujiyama
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Björkhem
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eggertsen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D053493:Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase; D004083:Cholestanol / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics*; D003704:Dementia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics*; D014973:Xanthomatosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004083:Cholestanol; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D002784:Cholesterol; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; C506831:CYP27A1 protein, human; D053493:Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase