RESUMEN
The analysis of individuals with ciliary chondrodysplasias can shed light on sensitive mechanisms controlling ciliogenesis and cell signalling that are essential to embryonic development and survival. Here we identify TCTEX1D2 mutations causing Jeune asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy with partially penetrant inheritance. Loss of TCTEX1D2 impairs retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT) in humans and the protist Chlamydomonas, accompanied by destabilization of the retrograde IFT dynein motor. We thus define TCTEX1D2 as an integral component of the evolutionarily conserved retrograde IFT machinery. In complex with several IFT dynein light chains, it is required for correct vertebrate skeletal formation but may be functionally redundant under certain conditions.
Asunto(s)
Dineínas/genética , Síndrome de Ellis-Van Creveld/genética , Flagelos/fisiología , Animales , Chlamydomonas reinhardtii , Proteínas del Citoesqueleto , Técnicas de Silenciamiento del Gen , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Ratones , Mutación , Penetrancia , Pez CebraRESUMEN
Since the 1950s, a strong correlation between high carrier rates for ß-thalassemia mutations and selective survival advantage in tropical and subtropical 'malarial belt' regions has been established. Due to the relatively more complex genetics of α-thalassemia, a similar relationship was demonstrated for α-globin gene mutations only from the 1980s, with both single- and double-α-globin gene deletions prevalent in the malarial belt. Mechanistically, the single-α-globin gene deletions arise from non-allelic recombination between the homologous α1 (HBA1) and α2 (HBA2) globin genes. Compared to the -α(3.7) and ααα(anti3.7) rightward crossover alleles, much less is known about the -α(4.2) and ααα(anti4.2) leftward crossover alleles. We performed a survey of 1,285 unselected cord blood samples from the 3 major ethnic groups in Singapore. Overall, the frequency of the -α(3.7) deletion was significantly higher than its reciprocal ααα(anti3.7) triplication, consistent with positive selection for the -α(3.7) single-gene deletion. In marked contrast, there was no significant difference in frequency between the -α(4.2) and reciprocal ααα(anti4.2) alleles, suggesting the absence of positive selection for the -α(4.2) single-gene deletion. The similar ααα(anti3.7) and ααα(anti4.2) allele frequencies also suggested that the crossover rates at X and Z homology boxes are similar. Taken together, these observations suggest a differential positive selection for the -α(3.7) and -α(4.2) alleles within the same population. Further population and biological studies may be required to explain these current observations.