title: Different molecular basis for spinal muscular atrophy in South African black patients.
abstract: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder occurring at a rate of between 1/5,000 and 1/10,000 births in most European countries. The phenotype results from the degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, resulting in symmetrical muscle weakness and wasting. The disorder can be classified according to the severity of the disease and the age of onset into three major types. Two candidate SMA genes, NAIP and SMN, isolated from the 5q13 region, have been reported to be homozygously deleted in approximately 30% and >95% of SMA patients, respectively. Black SMA patients have been reported to have facial muscle weakness more commonly. This study aimed to determine the molecular basis of SMA in South African black SMA patients. The SMN gene was found to be homozygously deleted in 65.5% (19/29) of patients, significantly less frequently than in previous studies. Similarly, the NAIP gene was homozygously deleted in a smaller number, 14% (4/29) of patients; 47% (9/19) of SMN deletion patients appeared to have deletions of telomeric exon 7, but not exon 8. In at least six of these patients a gene conversion event has occurred. No detectable deletions were found in 35% (10/29) of patients. Haplotype analysis in the nondeletion patients, using six closely linked markers, provided no evidence for a founder mutation. No mutations were found in exons 3 and intron 6 through exon 8 by sequence analysis of these nondeletion patients. It is proposed that the differences in the SMA phenotype observed in black patients may in part be explained by a different molecular basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, The South African Institute for Medical Research and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. gwynns@mail.saimr.wits.ac.za
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yawitch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verhaart
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krause
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005091:Exons; D005785:Gene Conversion; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051616:Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D055532:SMN Complex Proteins; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; C496800:NAIP protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051616:Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D055532:SMN Complex Proteins