A highly polymorphic poly-glutamine stretch in the potassium channel KCNN3 in migraine.
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.
Mössner
Rainald
R
Department of Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Germany.
Weichselbaum
Annette
A
Marziniak
Martin
M
Freitag
Christine M
CM
Lesch
Klaus-Peter
KP
Sommer
Claudia
C
Meyer
Jobst
J
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*
D015221:Potassium Channels; D005973:Glutamine