BACKGROUND: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a highly variable multisystem disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with incomplete penetration. The disorder is caused by mutations in the JAG1 gene, only rarely in the NOTCH2 gene, which gives rise to malformations in multiple organs. Bile duct paucity is the main characteristic feature of the disease. METHODS: Molecular-genetic examination of genes JAG1 and NOTCH2 in four probands of Czech origin who complied with the diagnostic criteria of ALGS was performed using targeted next-generation sequencing of genes JAG1 and NOTCH2. Segregation of variants in a family was assessed by Sanger sequencing of parental DNA. RESULTS: Mutations in the JAG1 gene were confirmed in all four probands. We identified two novel mutations: c.3189dupG and c.1913delG. Only in one case, the identified JAG1 mutation was de novo. None of the parents carrying JAG1 pathogenic mutation was diagnosed with ALGS. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of the ALGS is complicated due to the absence of clear genotype-phenotype correlations and the extreme phenotypic variability in the patients even within the same family. This fact is of particular importance in connection to genetic counselling and prenatal genetic testing.

• Klíčová slova
• Alagille syndrome, JAG1 gene, cholestasis, pediatric patients,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Mutations can be induced by environmental factors but also arise spontaneously during DNA replication or due to deamination of methylated cytosines at CpG dinucleotides. Sites where mutations occur with higher frequency than would be expected by chance are termed hotspots while sites that contain mutations rarely are termed coldspots. Mutations are permanently scanned and repaired by repair systems. Among them, the mismatch repair targets base pair mismatches, which are discriminated from canonical base pairs by probing altered elasticity of DNA. Using biased molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the elasticity of coldspots and hotspots motifs detected in human genes associated with inherited disorders, and also of motifs with Czech population hotspots and de novo mutations. Main attention was paid to mutations leading to G/T and A+/C pairs. We observed that hotspots without CpG/CpHpG sequences are less flexible than coldspots, which indicates that flexible sequences are more effectively repaired. In contrary, hotspots with CpG/CpHpG sequences exhibited increased flexibility as coldspots. Their mutability is more likely related to spontaneous deamination of methylated cytosines leading to C > T mutations, which are primarily targeted by base excision repair. We corroborated conclusions based on computer simulations by measuring melting curves of hotspots and coldspots containing G/T mismatch.

• Klíčová slova
• DNA bending, Muts protein, free energy calculations, hotspots–coldspots, mutations,
• MeSH
• CpG ostrůvky MeSH
• DNA chemie   genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace * MeSH
• nukleotidové motivy * MeSH
• simulace molekulární dynamiky * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA MeSH

Inherited ichthyoses belong to a large and heterogeneous group of mendelian disorders of cornification, and can be distinguished by the quality and distribution of scaling and hyperkeratosis, by other dermatologic and extracutaneous involvement, and by inheritance. We present the genetic analysis results of probands with X-linked ichthyosis, autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis, keratinopathic ichthyosis, and a patient with Netherton syndrome. Genetic diagnostics was complemented by in silico missense variant analysis based on 3D protein structures and commonly used prediction programs to compare the yields of these two approaches to each other. This analysis revealed various structural defects in proteins coded by mutated genes while no defects were associated with known polymorphisms. Two patients with pathogenic variants in the ABCA12 gene have a premature termination codon mutation on one allele and a silent variant on the second. The silent variants c.69G > A and c.4977G > A are localised in the last nucleotide of exon 1 and exon 32, respectively, and probably affect mRNA splicing. The phenotype of both patients is very severe, including a picture harlequin foetus after birth; later (at 3 and 6 years of age, respectively) ectropin, eclabion, generalised large polygonal scaling and erythema.

• Klíčová slova
• 3D protein structure, Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis, In silico analysis, Keratinopathic ichthyosis,
• MeSH
• ABC transportéry genetika   MeSH
• fenotyp MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci genetika   MeSH
• ichtyóza etiologie   genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nesmyslný kodon genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• dopisy MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ABC transportéry MeSH
• ABCA12 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• nesmyslný kodon MeSH

Mutations in human genes can be responsible for inherited genetic disorders and cancer. Mutations can arise due to environmental factors or spontaneously. It has been shown that certain DNA sequences are more prone to mutate. These sites are termed hotspots and exhibit a higher mutation frequency than expected by chance. In contrast, DNA sequences with lower mutation frequencies than expected by chance are termed coldspots. Mutation hotspots are usually derived from a mutation spectrum, which reflects particular population where an effect of a common ancestor plays a role. To detect coldspots/hotspots unaffected by population bias, we analysed the presence of germline mutations obtained from HGMD database in the 5-nucleotide segments repeatedly occurring in genes associated with common inherited disorders, in particular, the PAH, LDLR, CFTR, F8, and F9 genes. Statistically significant sequences (mutational motifs) rarely associated with mutations (coldspots) and frequently associated with mutations (hotspots) exhibited characteristic sequence patterns, e.g. coldspots contained purine tract while hotspots showed alternating purine-pyrimidine bases, often with the presence of CpG dinucleotide. Using molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations, we analysed the global bending properties of two selected coldspots and two hotspots with a G/T mismatch. We observed that the coldspots were inherently more flexible than the hotspots. We assume that this property might be critical for effective mismatch repair as DNA with a mutation recognized by MutSα protein is noticeably bent.

• MeSH
• DNA chemie   genetika   MeSH
• faktor VIII genetika   MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci MeSH
• konformace nukleové kyseliny MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• nukleotidové motivy MeSH
• protein CFTR genetika   MeSH
• receptory LDL genetika   MeSH
• simulace molekulární dynamiky MeSH
• zárodečné mutace * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• CFTR protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• DNA MeSH
• F8 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• faktor VIII MeSH
• LDLR protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein CFTR MeSH
• receptory LDL MeSH