Automated, PCR-RFLP genotyping of the urokinase gene

Association of gene polymorphisms for plasminogen activators with alveolar bone loss

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The plasminogen activating system is a protease/inhibitor system central to extracellular matrix remodeling with a suggested role in periodontal disease pathology. A few studies have reported polymorphisms in the genes of plasminogen activator inhibitors to be associated with periodontal disease severity. Two gene polymorphisms - a BamHI restriction fragment length polymorphism in the urokinase plasminogen activator gene (uPA) and a HindIII restriction fragment length polymorphism in the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 gene (PAI-1) - have been associated with conditions having a vascular component, and our objective was to assess the association of these gene polymorphisms with alveolar bone loss in chronic periodontal disease of adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification of whole blood, pertinent histories were obtained by interview, and alveolar bone loss was assessed from current radiographs.

RESULTS

In 77 elderly patients with a normal distribution of alveolar bone loss, we demonstrated a significant association between levels of alveolar bone loss and these polymorphisms in the uPA and PAI-1 genes. Controlling for the contributions of smoking or diabetes to periodontal bone loss, estimated odds ratios for predicting lower levels of alveolar bone loss, associated with a greater degree of periodontal health, were strongest when defined by the concurrent presence of a homozygous urokinase plasminogen activator genotype and the nuclease-sensitive plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (HindIII) allele (odds ratio = 2.6; 95% confidence interval: 5.8-1.3).

CONCLUSION

The urokinase plasminogen activator (BamHI) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (HindIII) genotypes may serve as useful markers for heritability of bone loss associated with periodontal disease.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism of the urokinase-plasminogen activator gene during aging and transformation of human diploid kidney cell cultures

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are differences in the nucleotide sequence of a specific gene from different individuals. The frequency at which SNPs occur varies among individuals, is gene dependent, and may be influenced by the aging process or by mechanisms that result in cell transformation. Urokinase-plasminogen activator (uPA) is a serine protease that is important in embryonic development, aging, and the onset of pathogenic conditions. The frequency of SNP and the stability of the SNPs in the uPA gene have not been defined with regard to processes that are associated with cellular aging or transformation. In this study, the complete nucleotide sequence has been determined for the gene encoding uPA from 26 human diploid kidney cell lines. The frequency of SNP occurrence within the uPA gene and whether this frequency changed during cellular aging, or after cell transformation, were determined. The results demonstrated three donor-dependent SNPs. One SNP was located at base pair 422, which is in the region of the gene responsible for encoding the high-molecular weight domain of uPA (HMW-uPA). The other SNPs were located at base pairs 691 and 822, both of which are in the region of the gene responsible for encoding the low-molecular weight domain of uPA (LMW-uPA). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms were not detected in the portion of the gene responsible for encoding the uPA secretion signal. Leucine or proline would be encoded at amino acid 141 of HMW-uPA as the result of an SNP at base pair 422. The SNP detected at base pair 691 would encode for lysine or glutamine at amino acid 231 of LMW-uPA. The SNP detected at base pair 822 would not change the encoded asparagine located at position 274 of the protein. The SNPs identified in this study were donor dependent and were not altered during cellular aging, or by changes in karyology due to spontaneous transformation of the cell line. These results demonstrate that the integrity of the uPA gene is stable and not subject to alterations that accompany cell aging or transformation.