title: Quantification of chloride channel 2 (CLCN2) gene isoforms in normal versus lesion- and epilepsy-associated brain tissue.
abstract: The chloride channel 2 (CLCN2) gene codes for a protein organized in N- and C-terminal regions with regulatory functions and a transmembrane region which forms the ring of the pore. Mutations in the gene have previously been described in patients with idiopathic familial epilepsy. In this study we looked for new isoforms of CLCN2 and we estimated expression levels by real time PCR in brain tissue containing epileptic foci. Samples used in this study were first analyzed and selected to exclude mutations in the coding region of the gene. Four isoforms (skipping exons 3, 16, 22 and 6/7) were identified and quantified by Real Time PCR and compared with total expression of the gene. Expression of the region common to all CLCN2 isoforms was 50% less in epilepsy-associated brain tissue than in controls. The ratio of the various isoforms was slightly greater in epileptic than control tissue. The greatest difference was recorded in the temporal lobe for the isoform with skipped exon 22. Analysis of these isoforms in brain tissue containing epileptic foci suggests that CLCN2 could be implicated in epilepsy, even in the absence of mutations.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Malattie Rare Mauro Baschirotto [corrected] BIRD Foundation Onlus, Costozza [corrected] Italy. matteo.bertelli@birdfoundation.org
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertelli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cecchin
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lapucci
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Gemmis
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Danieli
authors.forename: Emanuele S G
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: d'Amore
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buttolo
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giunta
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mortini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pandolfo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000090007:CLC-2 Chloride Channels; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000090007:CLC-2 Chloride Channels; D018118:Chloride Channels; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger