• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.181-186
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• 2009

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), which is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder, results from a CTG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene. Retention of mutant DMPK (mDMPK) transcripts in the nuclei of affected cells has been known to be the main cause of pathogenesis of the disease. Thus, reducing the RNA toxicity through elimination of the mutant RNA has been suggested as one therapeutic strategy against DM1. In this study, we suggested RNA replacement with a trans -splicing ribozyme as an alternate genetic therapeutic approach for amelioration of DM1. To this end, we identified the regions of mDMPK 3'-UTR RNA that were accessible to ribozymes by using an RNA mapping strategy based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library. We found that particularly accessible sites were present not only upstream but also downstream of the expanded repeat sequence. Repair or replacement of the mDMPK transcript with the specific ribozyme will be useful for DM1 treatment through reduction of toxic mutant transcripts and simultaneously restore wild-type DMPK or release nucleus-entrapped mDMPK transcripts to the cytoplasm.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.23-26
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• 1997

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is caused by the expansion of CTG trinucleotide repeat near the 3' end of the gene encoding for a member of protein kinase gene family (DMPK). The normal range of the CTG repeat was determined in 178 normal individuals (141 unrelated individuals and 37 of 9 families) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining method. And the expansion of the CTG repeats in a DM family was analyzed with Southern analysis. In normal population, the range of CTG repeat is between 5 and 34 and 19 different alleles were observed in that range, and $(CTG)_{11-14}$ alleles were predominant. 4 members of an affected family showed the 0.5-2.0 kb size expansion of CTG repeats. In this study we could predict the incidence of DM in Korea as 1 in 20,000 and we could establish the diagnostic procedure for myotonic dystrophy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.118-123
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• 2006

Dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder usually inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. DRPLA has been shown to be associated with expansion of an unstable cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat in a gene on chromosome 12p. We evaluated a family with DRPLA that affected three members; A 35-year-old female presented with seven year history of gait ataxia, dysarthria and mild cognitive impairment. The MRI of the brain revealed diffuse cerebellar atrophy with an incidental lipoma in the midbrain. Her 30-year-old brother presented with progressive cerebellar ataxia that developed at the age of 20. Her grandmother and mother were reported to have developed ataxia during the late period of their life, and died at the age of 60 and 55, respectively. The demonstration of an expanded CAG repeat in the gene for DRPLA was used to confirm the diagnosis.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.14-19
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• 2016

Purpose: We examined the prevalence and CGG/AGG repeat structure of expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene in preconceptional and pregnant Korean women. Materials and Methods: The CGG repeats in the FMR1 genes of 1,408 women were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. To estimate the prevalence of expansion alleles, the individuals were divided into low risk and high risk group. Results: Within this population, 98.4% had normal alleles and 1.6% had abnormal alleles including intermediate (0.6%), premutation (0.5%), full mutation (0.1%), and hemizygous (0.4%) alleles. There were 2 premutation alleles (1:666, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1:250-1,776) in the low risk group and 5 premutation alleles (1:15, 95% 1:6-36) in the high risk group. There were 8 intermediate alleles (1:167, 95% CI 1:130-213) in the low risk group and 1 intermediate alleles (1:76, 95% CI 1:11-533) in the high group. Six of the 7 premutation alleles did not contain AGG interruptions within the repeats and 1 had a single AGG interruption. Four of the 9 intermediate alleles contained 2-3 AGG, 4 had a single AGG, and 1 had no AGG interruptions. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the prevalence and CGG/AGG structure of expansion alleles in Korean women. The identified premutation prevalence is higher than that of other Asian populations and lower than that of Caucasian populations. Although our study is limited by size and population bias, our findings could prove useful for genetic counseling of preconceptional or pregnant women.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.3-15
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• 2000

연구목적：자폐장애의 원인을 유전학적으로 규명하려는 연구가 시도되고 있으며, 그 중 fragile X 증후군과의 연관성에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. Fragile X 염색체(Xq27.3)는 세포유전학적 방법으로 증명할 수 있으나 검사에 많은 제약과 단점이 있으므로, 본 연구에서는 보다 신뢰성이 높은 분자생물학적 방법으로 FMR-1 유전자내 CGG 삼염기 반복부위를 분석하여 자폐장애와 fragile X 증후군의 연관성을 규명하고자 하였다. 방 법：자폐장애 환아(99명)와 정상대조군(8명)을 대상으로 FMR-1 유전자의 CGG 반복배열 부위를 sense와 antisense primer를 이용하여 PCR법으로 분석하였으며, 동시에 세포유전학적 검사도 시행하였다. PCR 분석에서 CGG 반복수가 50 이상인 경우에 대해서는 StB12.3 혹은 Pfxa3 probe를 이용한 Southern blot hybridization으로 확인하였다. 결 과：FMR-1 유전자의 CGG 반복배열에 대한 PCR 분석 결과 CGG 삼염기의 반복배열의 수는 자폐장애 환자군과 정상대조군 사이에 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다(p=0.207). 자폐장애 환자에서 CGG반복수가 50회 이상인 조기변이(premutation) 환자가 2명 있었으나 Southern blot hybridization 결과 완전변이(full mutation)로 판정할 수 있는 경우는 없었다. 세포유전학적 검사에서 환자군 모두에서 정상 핵형을 나타내었으며 fragile X 염색체는 확인되지 않았다. 결 론：이상의 결과에서 자폐장애 환자가 FMR-1 유전자의 CGG 삼염기 반복부위 이상, 즉 fragile X 염색체 이상을 동반하지 않았음을 증명할 수 있었다. 이는 fragile X 증후군을 자폐장애의 직접적인 원인이라고 보기에는 어려움이 있음을 시사한다.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.74-78
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• 2011

Numerous restraints and simplifications have been developed for methods that anticipate protein structure to reduce the colossal magnitude of possible conformational states. In this study, we investigated if globularity is a general characteristic of proteins and whether they can be applied as a valid constraint in protein structure simulations with approximated measurements (Gb-index). Unexpectedly, most of the proteins showed strong structural globularity (i.e., mode of approximately 76% similarity to the perfect globe) with only a few percent of proteins being outliers. Small proteins tended to be significantly non-globular ($R^2$=0.79) and the minimum Gb-index showed a logarithmic increase with the increase in protein size ($R^2$=0.62), strongly implying that the non-globular characteristics might be more acceptable for smaller proteins than larger ones. The strong perfect globe-like character and the relationship between small size and the loss of globular structure of a protein may imply that living organisms have mechanisms to aid folding into the globular structure to reduce irreversible aggregation. This also implies the possible mechanisms of diseases caused by protein aggregation, including some forms of trinucleotide repeat expansion-mediated diseases.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.179-188
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• 2007

목 적: 본 연구에서는 삼핵산 반복서열 확장에 의해 발병하는 헌팅톤병, 척수소뇌성 운동실조증과 X-염색체 취약 증후군 등에 대한 착상전 유전진단을 시행하기 위한 전임상 검사에서 진단 방법을 최적화하는 과정을 통해 얻은 결과들에 대해 기술하고자 한다. 연구방법: 단일 림프구를 이용한 임상전 검사에서는 서로 다른 allele를 갖고 있는 환자의 단일 세포를 사용하였으며, 헌팅톤병과 척수소뇌성 운동실조증에서는 fluorescent semi-nested PCR 시행 후 fragment analysis를 수행하였다. X-염색체 취약 증후군의 경우 multiple displacement amplification (MDA) 방법을 이용한 whole genome amplification에서 얻어진 MDA 산물로 fluorescent PCR을 시도하였다. 결 과: 헌팅톤병의 경우 단일 림프구 시료 모두에서 CAG repeats 증폭에 성공하여 100.0%의 증폭성공률과 14.0% allele drop-out (ADO) rate를, 척수소뇌성 운동실조증의 경우 94.7%의 증폭성공률과 5.6%의 ADO rate을 나타내었다. X-염색체 취약 증후군의 경우 fluorescent semi-nested PCR 방법만으로는 단일 림프구 시료에서 CGG repeats이 증폭되지 않았지만, MDA 산물을 이용한 fluorescent PCR 결과 84.2%의 증폭성공률과 31.3%의 ADO rate을 얻을 수 있었다. 결 론: 본 연구를 통해 헌팅톤병과 척수소뇌성 운동실조증의 착상전 유전진단에는 fluorescent semi-nested PCR 방법의 적용이 가능함을 확인하였으며, X-염색체 취약 증후군의 경우에는 MDA를 이용한 fluorescent PCR 방법을 사용해야 함을 알 수 있었다. 유전자의 변이에 대한 분석이 쉽지 않은 단일 유전자 이상에 대한 착상전 유전진단의 경우 다양한 유전자 분석 방법을 이용한 단일 세포에서의 진단 방법의 최적화 연구가 필수적으로 선행되어야 할 것으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.572-584
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• 2022

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of trinucleotide CAG repeat in the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. The major pathogenic pathways underlying HD involve the impairment of cellular energy homeostasis and DNA damage in the brain. The protein kinase ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is an important regulator of the DNA damage response. ATM is involved in the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), suggesting that AMPK plays a critical role in response to DNA damage. Herein, we demonstrated that expression of polyQ-expanded mutant Htt (mHtt) enhanced the phosphorylation of ATM. Ginsenoside is the main and most effective component of Panax ginseng. However, the protective effect of a ginsenoside (compound K, CK) in HD remains unclear and warrants further investigation. Methods: This study used the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD and performed behavioral tests, survival rate, histological analyses, and immunoblot assays. Results: The systematic administration of CK into R6/2 mice suppressed the activation of ATM/AMPK and reduced neuronal toxicity and mHTT aggregation. Most importantly, CK increased neuronal density and lifespan and improved motor dysfunction in R6/2 mice. Conversely, CK enhanced the expression of Bcl2 protected striatal cells from the toxicity induced by the overactivation of mHtt and AMPK. Conclusions: Thus, the oral administration of CK reduced the disease progression and markedly enhanced lifespan in the transgenic mouse model (R6/2) of HD.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.22-37
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• 2007

The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases, clinically and genetically heterogeneous, characterized by degeneration of spinocerebellar pathways with variable involvement of other neural systems. At present, 27 distinct genetic forms of SCAs are known: SCA1-8, SCA10-21, SCA23, SCA25-28, DRPLA (dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy), and 16q-liked ADCA (autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia). Epidemiological data about the prevalence of SCAs are restricted to a few studies of isolated geographical regions, and most do not reflect the real occurrence of the disease. In general a prevalence of about 0.3-2 cases per 100,000 people is assumed. As SCA are highly heterogeneous, the prevalence of specific subtypes varies between different ethnic and continental populations. Most recent data suggest that SCA3 is the commonest subtype worldwide; SCA1, SCA2, SCA6, SCA7, and SCA8 have a prevalence of over 2%, and the remaining SCAs are thought to be rare (prevalence <1%). In this review, we highlight and discuss the SCA7. The hallmark of SCA7 is the association of hereditary ataxia and visual loss caused by pigmentary macular degeneration. Visual failure is progressive, bilateral and symmetrical, and leads irreversibly to blindness. This association represents a distinct disease entity classified as autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) type II by Harding. The disease affectsprimarily the cerebellum and the retina by the moderate to severe neuronal loss and gliosis, but also many other central nervous system structures as the disease progresses. SCA7 is caused by expansion of an unstable trinucleotide CAG repeat in the ATXN7 gene encoding a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the corresponding protein, ataxin-7. Normal ATXN7 alleles contain 4-35 CAG repeats, whereas pathological alleles contain from 36->450 CAG repeats. Immunoblott analysis demonstrated that ataxin-7 is widely expressed but that expression levels vary among tissues. Instability of expanded repeats is more pronounced in SCA7 than in other SCA subtypes and can cause substantial lowering of age at onset in successive generations termed ‘anticipation’ so that children may become diseased even before their parents develop symptoms. The strong anticipation in SCA7 and the rarity of contractions should have led to its extinction within a few generations. There is no specific drug therapy for this neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, therapy remains purely symptomatic. Cellular models and SCA7 transgenic mice have been generated which constitute valuable resources for studying the disease mechanism. Understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms of neurodegeneration in SCAs should lead to the identification of potential therapeutic targets and ultimately facilitate drug discovery. Here we summarize the clinical, pathological, and genetic aspects of SCA7, and review the current understanding of the pathogenesis of this disorder. Further, we also review the potential therapeutic strategies that are currently being explored in polyglutamine diseases.