title: Linkage disequilibrium between GABRB3 gene and nonsyndromic familial cleft lip with or without cleft palate.
abstract: The malformation of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is a common congenital disease that affects approximately 1/1000 newborns in Caucasian populations. Genetic studies indicate that CL/P has the characteristics of a complex genetic trait. Linkage analysis and mouse-model knockout studies have suggested several candidate genes mapping in different chromosome regions for CL/P malformation. On these grounds, we have investigated, by linkage disequilibrium (LD) and parametric and nonparametric linkage analyses, five different candidate genes, including those for the beta3 subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABRB3), glutamic acid decarboxylase 1 (GAD1), retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA), transforming growth factor beta3 (TGFB3), and msh ( Drosophila) homeobox homolog 1 (MSX1). Interestingly, a significant LD between GABRB3 and CL/P was obtained ( P-value=0.008 in the allele-wise analysis for multiallelic markers), suggesting that the GABRB3 gene is involved in this congenital disease. This new finding in humans is in agreement with previously reported data obtained with the murine model. Indeed, mouse studies indicate a role for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its receptor in normal palate development. Exclusion of the GAD1 gene, which encodes the GABA-producing enzyme, in CL/P pathogenesis was obtained in our study. Moreover, we were unable to confirm the involvement of the MSX1 gene in nonsyndromic CL/P. Modest evidence of LD between marker alleles and CL/P was found at the RARA and TGFB3 loci suggesting a minor role for these genes in our family set of nonsyndromic CL/P.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Embryology, Section of Histology and Embryology, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 64/B, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scapoli
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Furio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pezzetti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carinci
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bodo
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tognon
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carinci
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010375:Pedigree; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000235:genetics*; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase