title: A highly polymorphic poly-glutamine stretch in the potassium channel KCNN3 in migraine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study is designed to further elucidate the molecular genetic basis of migraine with and without aura.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Migraine is a common disease of as yet unknown etiology. Interest in ion channels in migraine has been spurred by molecular genetic findings in familial hemiplegic migraine, since familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 is caused by mutations in the calcium channel gene CACNA1A.
  
  
  METHODS
  Given this role of ion channels in migraine, we assessed the potassium channel KCNN3 as a candidate gene for common migraine. We analyzed the highly polymorphic repeat region coding for a poly-glutamine stretch, which constitutes part of the cytoplasmic tail of the channel protein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found an excess of the allele coding for 15 poly-glutamines in migraine patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The potassium channel KCNN3 may thus be of pathophysiological importance in migraine with and without aura.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mössner
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weichselbaum
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marziniak
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.forename: Klaus-Peter
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lesch
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Jobst
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005973:Glutamine / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D005973:Glutamine