|
|
||||||||
1 From the University Department of Medical Genetics and Regional Genetics Service, St. Marys Hospital and 2 Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester; 3 Department of Ophthalmology, St. James Hospital, Leeds; 4 Medical Research Council Development Unit, Edinburgh; 5 Department of Ophthalmology and 6 Unit for Clinical Genetics, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children National Health Service Trust, London; 7 West Midlands Regional Clinical Genetics Service, Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Womens Hospital, Birmingham; and 8 Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom.
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
METHODS. Seventy-six patients with different forms of anterior segment dysgenesis were classified clinically. DNA was obtained and screened by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis followed by direct sequencing.
RESULTS. Eight of 76 patients had mutations within the PITX2 gene. Anterior segment phenotypes show wide variability and include a phenocopy of aniridia and Peters, Rieger, and Axenfeld anomalies. Mutations include premature terminations and splice-site and homeobox mutations, confirming that haploinsufficiency the likely pathogenic mechanism in the majority of cases.
CONCLUSIONS. There is significant phenotypic variability in patients with PITX2 mutations, both within and between families. Developmental glaucoma is common. The umbilical and dental abnormalities are highly penetrant, define those at risk of carrying mutations in this gene, and guide mutation analysis. In addition, there is a range of other extraocular manifestations.
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
There is a wide variety of anterior segment dysgenesis phenotypes. These include aniridia and Peters, Rieger, and Axenfeld anomalies. For the genes identified that underlie inherited cases, both phenotypic variability of mutations at the same locus and locus heterogeneity among similar phenotypes are described11 12 13 14 (Table 1) . Although several mutations have been described at the PAX6 locus,15 uncertainty remains about the severity and variability of mutations in other genes that give rise to anterior segment dysgenesis. To address this question, we screened the PITX2 gene in a panel of 76 unrelated patients with anterior segment dysgenesis phenotypes and defined the phenotypic range among eight families with identified mutations.
|
| Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
PCR Analysis
All four PITX2 exons were amplified using primers, as
previously reported.7
Genomic DNA (50 ng) was suspended in
a 20 µl reaction containing 10 picomoles each of the forward and
reverse primers; 5 mM each of dCTP, dGTP, dTTP, and dATP; 1x PCR
buffer (containing 10 mM Tris-HCl [pH 8.3], 50 mM KCl, 11.5 mM
MgCl2, and 0.1% gelatin), overlaid with mineral
oil. The samples were heated to 96°C for 10 minutes (denaturation)
then cooled to 51°C (annealing), and 0.15 units Taq DNA
polymerase was added. The samples were processed in the following
conditions: 92°C for 30 seconds, 51°C for 30 seconds, and 72°C
for 30 seconds for 35 cycles and 72°C for 10 minutes. To the
amplified products an equal volume of formamide stop solution was
added. Gels were run at 350 V overnight at 4°C and silver stained
according to standard protocols. In cases in which an SSCP shift was
observed, direct sequencing of PCR products was performed using a dye
terminator cycle sequencing kit (Perkin-ElmerApplied Biosystems,
Warrington, UK) using a fluorescent sequencer (ABI 373), according to
the manufacturers instructions. For insertion and deletion mutations,
abnormally migrating SSCP bands were purified and reamplified before
sequencing. All SSCP abnormalities were sought (and were absent) in 100
normal control chromosomes.
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Fifteen individuals within eight families carried PITX2 mutations and had signs of anterior segment dysgenesis. The ocular manifestations were widely variable (Table 2 , Fig. 2 ). In one family (family 3) gross iris hypoplasia resulted in an initial diagnosis of aniridia in one affected individual. This patient had no evidence of foveal hypoplasia and did not have nystagmus and therefore did not have the classic manifestations of true aniridia. However, this is the first description of a phenocopy of aniridia in a patient with a proven PITX2 mutation.
Other anterior segment phenotypes included unilateral Peters anomaly, Rieger anomaly, and Axenfeld anomalyiris hypoplasia. That there is such a wide overlap of the phenotypic features between eyes of the same patient, within and between families, suggests that the clinically and morphologically defined ocular phenotypes do not fall within biologic or mechanistic boundaries. Phenotypic variability has previously been described for PITX2 mutations.7 8 9 The high degree of intrafamilial variability is consistent with the observation that dominant PITX2 mutations usually result in haploinsufficiency.
In several patients, significant differences were noted in the phenotype between the two eyes. In one case, (family 2, individual 2.2) this was the result of right-side, early-onset glaucoma. In two patients unilateral Peters anomaly was diagnosed. Asymmetry or unilaterality is well recognized among ocular developmental disorders including congenital glaucoma and Peters anomaly. It is of interest that recent observations suggest that PITX2 has been shown to associate with genes involved in lateralization and is likely to be one of the genes expressed late in the lateralization cascade.12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 It is possible that the asymmetry observed in these patients reflects differences between the two sides in ocular development.
Before this, eight mutations had been reported in the PITX2
gene.7
8
9
Five were missense mutations within the
homeodomain (three in families with classic Rieger syndrome and two
with iridogoniodysgenesis syndrome), two splicing mutations and one
introducing a premature termination. By contrast, of the eight
mutations described in our study, only two (families 6 and 8) were
missense mutations within the homeodomain. The first, in family 2,
converts a lysine to a glutamine at position 50 of the
homeodomainamino acid 9 of the recognition
-helix of the
DNA-binding site. This lysine residue characterizes the homeodomains of
the bicoid-related proteins of Caenorhabditis elegans,
Drosophila, and murine Otx1 and
Otx2.23
Furthermore, experiments on
Xotx2, a related Xenopus homeobox gene have shown
that mutation of this lysine residue to glutamine at the same site
within its homeobox domain abolishes the developmental effects of the
mRNA.24
The second homeobox mutation (C851T in family 8),
converts the arginine at codon 90, which lies two residues away, to a
cysteine residue.
Of the six remaining mutations described, two were splicing mutations within introns 2 and 3. Finally, there were four nonsense mutations within exon 4 that result in premature termination with the loss of the C-terminal domain, which shows high conservation between PITX2 and PITX3. Our results suggest that mutations would result in functional haploinsufficiency, which is consistent with others observations.25 The sites of the mutations within the gene are shown in Figure 4 .
|
Among the patients screened, 11 (58%) of 19 with classic Rieger syndrome were not found to carry such mutations. The techniques of SSCP and heteroduplex analyses are not 100% sensitive and in particular do not detect whole exon or gene deletions. Nevertheless, this suggests that there is heterogeneity among patients with classic Rieger syndrome.
For families with Rieger syndrome, the major issue of concern is the visual outcome. This was generally better than for patients with PAX6-related phenotypes reflecting the absence of severe foveal hypoplasia, which was commented on in only one patient (family 1, patient 2.1) who had a best corrected visual acuity of 6/18. The major risk factors for adverse visual outcome that we have identified among patients with PITX2 mutations include corneal opacification and early-onset glaucoma. Early-onset developmental glaucoma was diagnosed in 5 of 9 of the patients examined, although of the 10 patients, only 1, now an adult, had blindness caused by end-stage glaucoma. Patients and at-risk relatives should have lifelong screening for glaucoma. Early-onset glaucoma is generally resistant to medical treatment, but advances in the efficacy of surgical intervention mean that the prognosis for patients with PITX2 mutations is relatively optimistic.
| Footnotes |
|---|
RP is supported by Action Research and GB is a Wellcome Clinician Scientist Fellow (Reference 51390/Z).
Commercial relationships policy: N.
Corresponding author: G. C. M. Black, University Department of Medical Genetics and Regional Genetics Service, St. Marys Hospital, Hathersage Road, Manchester M13 0JH, UK. gblack{at}man.ac.uk
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
T. Footz, F. Idrees, M. Acharya, K. Kozlowski, and M. A. Walter Analysis of Mutations of the PITX2 Transcription Factor Found in Patients with Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2009; 50(6): 2599 - 2606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. H. Strungaru, I. Dinu, and M. A. Walter Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Axenfeld-Rieger Malformation and Glaucoma Patients with FOXC1 and PITX2 Mutations Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2007; 48(1): 228 - 237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Weisschuh, P. Dressler, F. Schuettauf, C. Wolf, B. Wissinger, and E. Gramer Novel Mutations of FOXC1 and PITX2 in Patients with Axenfeld-Rieger Malformations. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2006; 47(9): 3846 - 3852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Cella, J. P. Cabral de Vasconcellos, M. Barbosa de Melo, B. Kneipp, F. F. Costa, C. A. Longui, and V. P. Costa Structural Assessment of PITX2, FOXC1, CYP1B1, and GJA1 Genes in Patients with Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome with Developmental Glaucoma Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., May 1, 2006; 47(5): 1803 - 1809. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. L. Evans and P. J. Gage Expression of the homeobox gene Pitx2 in neural crest is required for optic stalk and ocular anterior segment development Hum. Mol. Genet., November 15, 2005; 14(22): 3347 - 3359. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. A. Lines, K. Kozlowski, S. C. Kulak, R. R. Allingham, E. Heon, R. Ritch, A. V. Levin, M. B. Shields, K. F. Damji, A. Newlin, et al. Characterization and Prevalence of PITX2 Microdeletions and Mutations in Axenfeld-Rieger Malformations Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., March 1, 2004; 45(3): 828 - 833. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. A. Lines, K. Kozlowski, and M. A. Walter Molecular genetics of Axenfeld-Rieger malformations Hum. Mol. Genet., May 15, 2002; 11(10): 1177 - 1187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. B. Gould and S. W. M. John Anterior segment dysgenesis and the developmental glaucomas are complex traits Hum. Mol. Genet., May 15, 2002; 11(10): 1185 - 1193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Priston, K. Kozlowski, D. Gill, K. Letwin, Y. Buys, A. V. Levin, M. A. Walter, and E. Heon Functional analyses of two newly identified PITX2 mutants reveal a novel molecular mechanism for Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome Hum. Mol. Genet., August 1, 2001; 10(16): 1631 - 1638. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |