Association of a functional microsatellite within intron 1 of the BMP5 gene with susceptibility to osteoarthritis.
BACKGROUND
In a previous study carried out by our group, the genotyping of 36 microsatellite markers from within a narrow interval of chromosome 6p12.3-q13 generated evidence for linkage and for association to female hip osteoarthritis (OA), with the most compelling association found for a marker within intron 1 of the bone morphogenetic protein 5 gene (BMP5). In this study, we aimed to further categorize the association of variants within intron 1 of BMP5 with OA through an expanded genetic association study of the intron and subsequent functional analysis of associated polymorphisms.


METHODS
We genotyped 18 common polymorphisms including 8 microsatellites and 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 1 insertion/deletion (INDEL) from within highly conserved regions between human and mouse within intron 1 of BMP5. These markers were then tested for association to OA by a two-stage approach in which the polymorphisms were initially genotyped in a case-control cohort comprising 361 individuals with associated polymorphisms (P < or = 0.05) then genotyped in a second case-control cohort comprising 1185 individuals.


RESULTS
Two BMP5 intron 1 polymorphisms demonstrated association in the combined case-control cohort of 1546 individuals (765 cases and 781 controls): microsatellite D6S1276 (P = 0.018) and SNP rs921126 (P = 0.013). Functional analyses in osteoblastic, chondrocytic, and adipocytic cell lines indicated that allelic variants of D6S1276 have significant effects on the transcriptional activity of the BMP5 promoter in vitro.


CONCLUSIONS
Variability in gene expression of BMP5 may be an important contributor to OA genetic susceptibility.
Wilkins
James M
JM
University of Oxford, Institute of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK. james_wilkins@hms.harvard.edu
Southam
Lorraine
L
Mustafa
Zehra
Z
Chapman
Kay
K
Loughlin
John
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D055417:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 5 / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D054643:INDEL Mutation; D007438:Introns; D008156:Luciferases; D051379:Mice; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
C525814:BMP5 protein, human; C525815:Bmp5 protein, mouse; D055417:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 5; D008156:Luciferases