Human dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) regulatory polymorphism that influences enzymatic activity, autonomic function, and blood pressure.
BACKGROUND
Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) plays an essential role in catecholamine synthesis by converting dopamine into norepinephrine. Here we systematically investigated DBH polymorphisms associated with enzymatic activity as well as autonomic and blood pressure (BP)/disease phenotypes in vivo.


RESULTS
Seventy genetic variants were discovered at the locus; across ethnicities, much of the promoter was spanned by a 5' haplotype block, with a larger block spanning the promoter in whites than blacks. DBH secretion was predicted by genetic variants in the DBH promoter, rather than the amino acid coding region. The C allele of common promoter variant C-970T increased plasma DBH activity, epinephrine excretion, the heritable change in BP during environmental stress in twin pairs, and also predicted higher basal BP in three independent populations. Mutagenesis and expression studies with isolated/transfected DBH promoter/luciferase reporters in chromaffin cells indicated that variant C-970T was functional. C-970T partially disrupted consensus transcriptional motifs for n-MYC and MEF-2, and this variant affected not only basal expression, but also the response to exogenous/co-transfected n-MYC or MEF-2; during chromatin immunoprecipitation, these two endogenous factors interacted with the motif.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that common DBH promoter variant C-970T plays a role in the pathogenesis of human essential hypertension: common genetic variation in the DBH promoter region seems to initiate a cascade of biochemical and physiological changes eventuating in alterations of basal BP. These observations suggest new molecular strategies for probing the pathophysiology, risk, and rational treatment of systemic hypertension.
Chen
Yuqing
Y
Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0838, USA.
Wen
Gen
G
Rao
Fangwen
F
Zhang
Kuixing
K
Wang
Lei
L
Rodriguez-Flores
Juan L
JL
Sanchez
Amber P
AP
Mahata
Manjula
M
Taupenot
Laurent
L
Sun
Ping
P
Mahata
Sushil K
SK
Tayo
Bamidele
B
Schork
Nicholas J
NJ
Ziegler
Michael G
MG
Hamilton
Bruce A
BA
O'Connor
Daniel T
DT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American
D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase