title: Deep sequencing of the Nicastrin gene in pooled DNA, the identification of genetic variants that affect risk of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Nicastrin is an obligatory component of the γ-secretase; the enzyme complex that leads to the production of Aβ fragments critically central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Analyses of the effects of common variation in this gene on risk for late onset AD have been inconclusive. We investigated the effect of rare variation in the coding regions of the Nicastrin gene in a cohort of AD patients and matched controls using an innovative pooling approach and next generation sequencing. Five SNPs were identified and validated by individual genotyping from 311 cases and 360 controls. Association analysis identified a non-synonymous rare SNP (N417Y) with a statistically higher frequency in cases compared to controls in the Greek population (OR 3.994, CI 1.105-14.439, p = 0.035). This finding warrants further investigation in a larger cohort and adds weight to the hypothesis that rare variation explains some of genetic heritability still to be identified in Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michelle K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lupton
authors.forename: Petroula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Proitsi
authors.forename: Makrina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danillidou
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsolaki
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wroe
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: Belinda M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kloszewska
authors.forename: Hilkka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soininen
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mecocci
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harold
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hollingworth
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lovestone
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000502:physiology; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D054928:Validation Studies as Topic
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C413604:nicastrin protein; D004247:DNA; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases