A novel genetic locus for familial febrile seizures and epilepsy on chromosome 3q26.2-q26.33.
Febrile seizures (FS) are common in children, and the incidence is 2-5% before the age of 5 years. A four-generation Chinese family with autosomal dominant febrile seizure and epilepsy was studied by genome-wide linkage analysis. Significant linkage was identified with markers on chromosome 3q26.2-26.33 with a maximum pairwise LOD score of >3.00. Fine mapping defined the new genetic locus within a 10.7-Mb region between markers D3S3656 and D3S1232. A maximum multipoint LOD score of 5.27 was detected at marker D3S1565. A previously reported CLCN2 gene for epilepsy was excluded as the disease-causing gene in the family by mutational analysis of all exons and exon-intron boundaries of CLCN2 and by haplotype analysis. Mutation analysis of KCNMB2 and KCNMB3, which were two potassium-channel genes in this linkage region, did not reveal a disease causing mutation. Our results identified another novel locus on chromosome 3q26.2-26.33, and future studies of the candidate genes at the locus will identify a new gene for combined FS and idiopathic epilepsies.
Dai
Xiao-Hua
XH
Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Center for Human Genome Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430074, Wuhan, China. dxh051001@yahoo.com.cn
Chen
Wen-Wu
WW
Wang
Xu
X
Zhu
Qi-Hui
QH
Li
Cong
C
Li
Lin
L
Liu
Mu-Gen
MG
Wang
Qing-K
QK
Liu
Jing-Yu
JY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D015894:Genome, Human; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008126:Lod Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D019683:Penetrance; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*