Hydrolethalus Syndrome Is Caused By A Missense Mutation In A Novel Gene HYLS1

In a study reported in the June 2005 issue of Human Molecular Genetics (Vol. 14: 1475-1488), the authors identified an HLS associated mutation in a novel regional transcript (GenBank accession no. FLJ32915), referred to here as the HYLS1 gene. The identified A to G transition results in a D211G change in the 299 amino acid polypeptide with unknown function.

The HYLS1 gene shows alternative splicing and the transcript is found in multiple tissues during fetal development. In situ hybridization shows spatial and temporal distributions of transcripts in good agreement with the tissue phenotype of HLS patients.

Immunostaining of in vitro expressed polypeptides from wild-type (WT) cDNA revealed cytoplasmic staining, whereas mutant polypeptides became localized in distinct nuclear structures, implying a disturbed cellular localization of the mutant protein.

Author contact:

Leena Peltonen
Biomedicum Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
Email: leena.peltonen@ktl.fi

Also available online.

(C) Human Molecular Genetics.

Posted by: Tressie Dalaya

Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza