Automated fluorescent detection of a 10 loci multiplex for paternity testing

Linkage studies for T2D in Chop and C/EBPbeta chromosomal regions in Italians

The genes causing type 2 diabetes (T2D), a complex heterogeneous disorder, differ and/or overlap in various populations. Among others there are two loci in linkage to T2D, the chromosomes 20q12-13.1 and 12q15. These two regions harbor two genes, C/EBPbeta and CHOP, which are excellent candidate genes for T2D. In fact, C/EBPbeta protein cooperates with HNF4alpha (MODY1, monogenic form of diabetes) and 1alpha (MODY3, monogenic form of diabetes). C/EBPbeta mediates suppression of insulin gene transcription in hyperglycemia and may contribute to insulin-resistance. It interacts in a complex pathway with the CHOP protein. CHOP may play a role in altered beta-cell glucose metabolism, in beta-cell apoptosis, and in lack of beta-cell replication. Thus, both C/EBPbeta and CHOP genes may independently and interactively contribute to T2D. The chromosomal regions targeting C/EBPbeta and CHOP genes have never been previously explored in T2D. We planned to identify their potential contribution to T2D in Italians. We have genotyped a group of affected siblings/families with both late- and early-onset T2D around the C/EBPbeta and the CHOP genes. We have performed non-parametric linkage analysis in the total T2D group, in the late-onset and the early-onset group, separately. We have identified a suggestive linkage to T2D in the CHOP gene locus in the early-onset T2D group (P = 0.04). We identified the linkage to T2D in the chromosome 12q15 region in the early-onset T2D families and specifically target the CHOP gene. Our next step will be the identification of CHOP gene variants, which may contribute to the linkage to T2D in Italians.

PSMD9 gene variants within NIDDM2 may rarely contribute to type 2 diabetes

Multiple genome-wide scans in different populations have linked the chromosome 12q24 region, known as NIDDM2 (non-insulin-dependent-diabetes, locus 2), to type 2 diabetes. Within NIDDM2 we examined the PSMD9 (proteasome modulator 9/Bridge-1) gene that encodes a PDZ-domain transcriptional coactivator of insulin production. Our goal was to identify a potential contribution of the PSMD9 gene to type 2 diabetes in Italians. We directly sequenced the entire gene PSMD9 in Italian type 2 diabetes patients (n = 237) and controls subjects (n = 215) and performed an association study with the identified gene variants. We found five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), A17V, IVS1+nt29, IVS3+nt460, IVS3+nt437, and E197G, which are not associated with disease in our case-control study. Furthermore, we identified two PSMD9 gene variants in type 2 diabetes patients, which produced nonconservative amino acid substitutions S143G and N166S within the PDZ domain and two other gene variants. Three out of four of these variants are absent from the control subjects screened. We propose that the three PSMD9 gene variants (S143G, N166S and G > A at IVS3+nt102), absent in control subjects, contribute rarely to late-onset type 2 diabetes in Italians. In fact, the frequency rate of such variants in unrelated cases equals 0.016. We may not exclude that PSMD9 gene variants may contribute, either commonly or rarely, to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in other populations.

Advances ofcapillary electrophoresis in clinical and forensic analysis (1999-2000)

In this paper, capillary electrophoresis in clinical and forensic analysis is reviewed on the basis of the literature of 1999, 2000 and the first papers in 2001. An overview of progress relevant examples for each major field of application, namely (i) analysis of drug seizures, explosives residues, gunshot residues and inks, (ii) monitoring of drugs, endogenous small molecules and ions in biofluids and tissues, (iii) general screening for serum proteins and analysis of specific proteins (carbohydrate deficient transferrin, alpha1-antitrypsin, lipoproteins and hemoglobins) in biological fluids, and (iv) analysis of nucleic acids and oligonucleotides in biological samples, including oligonucleotide therapeutics, are presented.