title: Hypomethylation of D4Z4 in 4q-linked and non-4q-linked facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
abstract: The autosomal dominant myopathy facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD1, OMIM 158900) is caused by contraction of the D4Z4 repeat array on 4qter. We show that this contraction causes marked hypomethylation of the contracted D4Z4 allele in individuals with FSHD1. Individuals with phenotypic FSHD1, who are clinically identical to FSHD1 but have an unaltered D4Z4, also have hypomethylation of D4Z4. These results strongly suggest that hypomethylation of D4Z4 is a key event in the cascade of epigenetic events causing FSHD1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Center for Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Petra G M
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: van Overveld
authors.forename: Richard J F L
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lemmers
authors.forename: Lodewijk A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sandkuijl
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Enthoven
authors.forename: Sara T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Winokur
authors.forename: Floor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bakels
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Padberg
authors.forename: Gert-Jan B
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Ommen
authors.forename: Rune R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Frants
authors.forename: Silvère M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: van der Maarel
mesh_terms: D002894:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020391:Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / Q000235:genetics*; D010375:Pedigree; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*