Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and fluctuating asymmetry in another college sample

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) represents a developmental lag that may be reflected in fluctuating asymmetry (FA), i.e., differences from perfect symmetry in traits that display bilateral symmetry. Burton et al. (2003 Am. J. Hum. Biol. 15:601-619) found a statistical trend for FA to increase (as dermatoglyphic index or as total index) as the behavioral measure for AD/HDness (Rasch logit values derived from the Wender Utah Rating Scale, or WURS) increased in males but not in females. The objective here was to do a similar study in an independently collected sample of college students (n = 222; 61 male, 161 female) not selected for AD/HD, looking at FA vs. symptoms for AD/HD based on Rasch versions of responses to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) (Barkley and Murphy 1998 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, New York: Guilford Press, p. 95-96) and the more comparable shortened WURS. FAs were lowest for body and ear height, and highest for eye width and nose width, and ranged from 0.01 +/- 0.001 (mean +/- SE) for foot and ankle widths to 0.13 +/- 0.01 in eye and nose widths for both sexes; the sexes did not differ significantly. Males displayed higher AD/HD symptom rates overall. There was a significant correlation between body FA and the WURS measure in females after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.002, r(2) = 0.058). Thus, AD/HD symptoms levels increased with an increase in body FA in female college students not selected for AD/HD.

Functional properties of channels formed by the neuronal gap junction protein connexin36

The expression and functional properties of connexin36 (Cx36) were examined in two communication-deficient cell lines (N2A-neuroblastoma and PC-12 cells) transfected with Cx36 and in hippocampal neurons that express the connexin endogenously. Transfected cells expressed the expected 2.9 kb Cx36 transcript and Cx36 immunoreactivity, whereas nontransfected cells were devoid of Cx36. The relationship between steady-state junctional conductance (g(j)) and transjunctional voltage was well described by a two-state Boltzmann equation. The half-inactivation voltage (V(0)), the ratio of minimal to maximal g(j) (g(min)/g(max)), and the equivalent gating charge were +/- 75 mV, 0.55, and 1.75, respectively, indicating that Cx36 exhibits very low voltage sensitivity. Conductance of single Cx36 channels measured with patch pipettes containing 130 mM CsCl was 10-15 pS (n = 15 cell pairs); despite this low unitary conductance, Cx36 channels were permeable to the dye Lucifer yellow. Hippocampal neurons expressed Cx36 both in vivo and in culture. The electrophysiological properties of channels in cultured hippocampal neurons were similar to those of the channels expressed by the transfected cell lines, and the neuronal channels were similarly permeable to Lucifer yellow. The unique combination of weak voltage sensitivity, small unitary conductance, and permeation by anions as large as second messenger molecules endows Cx36 gap junction channels with properties well suited for mediating flexible electrical and biochemical interactions between neurons.

Extreme dryness and DNA-protein cross-links

Exposure of fungal conidia (Aspergillus ochraceus) or spores of Bacillus subtilis to extreme dryness or vacuum induces DNA lesions, including strand breaks and the formation of DNA-protein cross-links. In wet cells only a small amount of protein is bound to DNA, but exposure to conditions of lowered water activity results in an increasing number of cross-links between DNA and proteins. In fungal conidia these cross-links are detected after selective iodination (125 J) of the DNA-bound proteins followed by gel electrophoresis and subsequent autoradiography. Another approach is the labelling of DNA with 32P by means of nick translation and the detection of differences in the electrophoretic mobility of DNA before and after digestion with proteinase K of proteins bound to DNA.

Identification of a missense mutation in an adult-onset patient with glycogenosis type II expressing only one allele

The lysosomal enzyme acid alpha glucosidase (GAA) or acid maltase is deficient in glycogen storage disease type II. We sought to determine the molecular basis for the disease in an adult-onset patient, unusual for very low enzyme activity similar to that seen with the infantile-onset form and with a previously reported defect in phosphorylation. We constructed cDNA and genomic DNA libraries from the patient's cell line (GM 1935) and determined the nucleotide sequence of the coding region. There were three base-pair substitutions in one allele (C1935 to A; G2446 to A and C2780 to T), all predicting amino acid changes (Asp-645 to Glu; Val-816 to Ile and Thr-927 to Ile). To determine which of the three base-pair substitutions resulted in loss of enzyme activity, we next utilized primer-directed mutagenesis and transient gene expression in an SV40-immortalized GAA-deficient fibroblast cell line. Only the construct containing the G2446 to A mutation (Val-816 to Ile) lost GAA enzyme activity, while the other two substitutions (including the Thr-927 to Ile change that predicts a loss of a potential site for N-linked glycosylation and mannose phosphorylation) each resulted in enzyme activity equal to the control. Analysis of RFLPs in genomic DNA, as well as sequence analysis for the three base-pair alterations, indicated that the patient was a genetic compound. We next digested PCR-amplified cDNA (reverse-transcribed from RNA) with Aat II to detect the base-pair 1935 substitution and found that virtually all of the mRNA was derived from the allele with the three base-pair substitutions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Extensive genetic heterogeneity in patients with acid alpha glucosidase deficiency as detected by abnormalities of DNA and mRNA

Acid maltase, or acid alpha glucosidase (GAA), is a lysosomal enzyme that hydrolyzes glycogen to glucose and is deficient in glycogen storage disease type II. We have previously isolated a partial cDNA (1.9 kb) for human GAA and detected abnormalities of mRNA in two infantile-onset and one adult-onset patient. We have now extended this study and examined mRNA and DNA from cell lines of eight additional infantile and three adult-onset patients. While five of the 10 infantile-onset patients expressed normal amounts and sizes of mRNA, the remaining five did not express detectable GAA mRNA. Two adult-onset patients had normal amounts and sizes of mRNA, while two adult-onset patients had mRNA of smaller size. Thus, half of the larger series of GAA-deficient patients also exhibited quantitative and/or qualitative abnormalities of mRNA. Of the five infantile-onset patients with normal mRNA, two exhibited an abnormal SacI fragment not found in DNA from 60 normals. To further characterize these patients, we determined GAA activity in several of the cell lines by using either the artificial substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucoside, or the natural substrate glycogen. Two adult-onset patients who both had normal size mRNA differed as to enzyme activity, with one patient exhibiting enzyme activity similar to that in infantile-onset patients. By combining these data with those for previously reported presence or absence of GAA-mutant protein cross-reacting to antibody, we provide evidence for a minimum of six different mutations in these 14 GAA-deficient cell lines.

Sequence of the cDNA and 5'-flanking region for human acid alpha-glucosidase, detection of an intron in the 5' untranslated leader sequence, definition of 18-bp polymorphisms, and differences with previous cDNA and amino acid sequences

Acid maltase or acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) is a lysosomal enzyme that hydrolyzes glycogen to glucose and is deficient in glycogen storage disease type II. Previously, we isolated a partial cDNA (1.9 kb) for human GAA; we have now used this cDNA to isolate and determine sequence in longer cDNAs from four additional independent cDNA libraries. Primer extension studies indicated that the mRNA extended approximately 200 bp 5' of the cDNA sequence obtained. Therefore, we isolated a genomic fragment containing 5' cDNA sequences that overlapped the previous cDNA sequence and extended an additional 24 bp to an initiation codon within a Kozak consensus sequence. The sequence of the genomic clone revealed an intron-exon junction 32 bp 5' to the ATG, indicating that the 5' leader sequence was interrupted by an intron. The remaining 186 bp of 5' untranslated sequence was identified approximately 3 kb upstream. The promoter region upstream from the start site of transcription was GC rich and contained areas of homology to Sp1 binding sites but no identifiable CAAT or TATA box. The combined data gave a nucleotide sequence of 2,856 bp for the coding region from the ATG to a stop codon, predicting a protein of 952 amino acids. The 3' untranslated region contained 555 bp with a polyadenylation signal at 3,385 bp followed by 16 bp prior to a poly(A) tail. This sequence of the GAA coding region differs from that reported by Hoefsloot et al. (1988) in three areas that change a total of 42 amino acids. Direct determination of the amino acid sequence in one of these areas confirmed the nucleotide sequence reported here but also disagreed with the directly determined amino acid sequence reported by Hoefsloot et al. (1988). At two other areas, changes in base pairs predicted new restriction sites that were identified in cDNAs from several independent libraries. The amino acid changes in all three ares increased the homology to rabbit-human isomaltase. Therefore, we believe that our nucleotide sequence for GAA is more precise. We have also identified single base-pair polymorphisms at 18 sites for human GAA, some of which are not silent.

Clinico-pathologic studies in dementia: nondemented subjects with pathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease

We compared neuropsychological findings in 28 longitudinally evaluated elderly subjects with their postmortem neuropathology, including senile plaque and neurofibrillary tangle counts from standardized sections. Nine of the subjects were not demented when evaluated just prior to their death. Numerous cortical senile plaques and other changes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurred in six of nine nondemented old-old subjects. Five of these six subjects had shown decline on yearly neuropsychological tests but their cognitive impairment was too mild to meet clinical criteria for dementia. Whereas cortical senile plaque count did not distinguish well between demented and nondemented subjects, every subject with numerous cortical neurofibrillary tangles was demented. The nondemented subjects with Alzheimer pathology may have had "preclinical" AD, or numerous cortical plaques may occur in some elderly subjects who would never develop clinical dementia.

Isolation and partial characterization of a 56,000-dalton phosphoprotein phosphatase from the blood-brain barrier

A 56,000-dalton protein with inherent phosphoprotein phosphatase activity was isolated from porcine brain capillaries. The enzyme is not activated by divalent metal ions but strongly inhibited by zinc ions. As phosphatase inhibitor 2 readily inhibits the enzymatic activity, the protein can be classified as a type I phosphatase. The protein is stable toward protease treatment. Limited digestion with trypsin does not convert the enzyme into an active form of lower molecular weight. The physical and enzymatical properties of the phosphatase exhibit considerable similarities to those of another 56,000-dalton phosphatase derived from rabbit reticulocytes.

Isolation of a cDNA for human acid alpha-glucosidase and detection of genetic heterogeneity for mRNA in three alpha-glucosidase-deficient patients

Lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.3) hydrolyzes 1,4-linked alpha-D-glucose polymers present in glycogen. Genetic deficiency of acid alpha-glucosidase results in glycogen-storage disease type II, encompassing a spectrum of disorders of varying severity. To study the molecular basis for this heterogeneity, we sought to clone the coding sequence for human acid alpha-glucosidase. We screened 10(6) recombinant phage from a human liver cDNA expression library with an affinity-purified polyclonal antibody to human acid alpha-glucosidase. When we retested positive phage for reactivity to monoclonal antibodies, we identified a single phage, containing a 2-kilobase (kb) cDNA insert, that reacted with both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. The 2-kb cDNA hybridized to a 20-kb EcoRI fragment of human genomic DNA. This 20-kb EcoRI fragment was present only in DNA from somatic cell hybrids that retained the human chromosome 17 segment q21-q23, which contains the gene for human acid alpha-glucosidase. The cDNA also hybridized to a 3.4-kb mRNA, consistent with the size (approximately 105 kDa) of the acid alpha-glucosidase protein. Finally, in one of two infantile-onset acid alpha-glucosidase-deficient cell lines tested, the 3.4-kb mRNA was not detectable, whereas in an adult-onset cell line, an mRNA of reduced size and amount was found. Examination of DNA digested with restriction enzymes did not reveal any major deletions in the genomic DNA of these patients.

Detection, frequency, and stability of cotransformants expressing nonselectable human enzymes

We cotransformed mouse 3T3 cells with total genomic human DNA and the dominant selectable bacterial gene Neo and analyzed 121 NeoR clones for expression of 15 human "housekeeping" enzymes which can be distinguished from their murine homologs. The estimated frequency of expression of unlinked human genes was 1 in 360 NeoR clones and at least three different human enzymes (peptidase D, phosphoglucomutase 1, and acid alpha glucosidase) were detected. We further examined the frequency and stability of cotransformation for one of these enzymes, acid alpha glucosidase (GAA). We tested approximately 4000 NeoR clones and found 25 clones expressing human GAA, as determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis (RIE) specific for human GAA. Transformants progressively became negative on continued growth and retesting by RIE, with only two clones still expressing GAA at the eighth testing. This apparent loss of expression was not due to nonclonality of the original isolates. In one subclone examined, loss of expression was accompanied by loss of both Neo-derived pBR322 and human Alu repetitive sequence DNA. Thus, under the conditions utilized, cotransformants expressing homomeric housekeeping enzymes were found at relatively high frequency but were progressively lost even under conditions selective for expression of the dominant vector.

Adult-onset acid maltase deficiency: a postmortem study

In a postmortem study of a patient with adult-onset acid maltase deficiency (AMD), morphological abnormalities were confined to skeletal muscle and consisted of a vacuolar myopathy. Acid maltase activity, however, was approximately 6% of normal in muscle, liver, and brain, and 3% of normal in heart. Kinetic characteristics, and inhibition by antibodies and Zn++, showed that the residual activity was "authentic" acid maltase. Neutral maltase activity was normal in muscle and liver, but decreased in brain (55% of normal) and heart (19% of normal). Although the relative decrease of acid maltase was similar in different tissues, absolute residual activity was lowest in skeletal muscle: this may explain the selective involvement of this tissue in late-onset AMD.

Residual acid maltase activity in late-onset acid maltase deficiency

Residual acid maltase activity was found by a sensitive fluorometric assay in muscle biopsies from 15 patients with late-onset acid maltase deficiency (mean, 6.91 percent; range, 2.4 to 12.2) but not in biopsy or autopsy muscle from three patients with the infantile form. Electrophoresis, kinetic characteristics, and subcellular fractionation indicated that the residual activity was lysosomal acid maltase and not a contaminating isozyme of neutral maltase. There was no correlation between the amount of residual acid maltase activity and the severity of the clinical picture or glycogen accumulation. The presence of acid maltase activity in muscle, liver, and, to a greater extent, leukocytes in late-onset but not infantile acid maltase deficiency and the failure of the two disease forms to occur in the same family suggest that they are genetically distinct.

Late-onset acid maltase deficiency. Detection of patients and heterozygotes by urinary enzyme assay

Daily urinary excretion of acid maltase (12.78 +/- 2.10 units/24 hr/mg of creatinine, in 11 normal adults) was significantly decreased in ten patients with late-onset acid maltase deficiency (1.33 +/- 0.16 units/24 hr; P less than .001) and 11 heterozygotes (3.27 +/- 0.62 units/24 hr; P less than .001). Maximal inhibition of urinary acid maltase activity by antibodies against human placental enzyme was 53% in controls, 30% in heterozygotes, and virtually absent in patients. Investigation of pH curves and enzyme inhibition by antibodies confirmed the presence in the kidney of an immunologically distinct "extra" maltase enzyme active at acid pH. Whether acid maltase in normal urine originates in the kidney or cells of the lower urinary tract, the enzyme defect seems to be expressed in these cells in late-onset acid maltase deficiency.

Adult-onset acid maltase deficiency. Morphologic and biochemical abnormalities reproduced in in cultured muscle

We established muscle-tissue cultures from biopsy of a patient with adult-onset acid maltase deficiency. Morphologically and biochemically, the newly grown fibers of the cultured muscle showed the same abnormalities as those of the biopsied muscle. Light microscopy showed multiple vacuoles filled with acid-phosphatase-positive material; on ultrastructural examination there was abnormal accumulation of glycogen in membrane-bound sacs (secondary lysosomes), some of which also contained dark membranous of homogeneous material. Acid maltase (pH 4.0), a lysosomal enzyme, was undetectable in either cultured or biopsied muscle by maltose hydrolysis, whereas acid phosphatase, also a lysosomal enzyme, was increased in both sources of muscle cells. Cultured muscle fibers demonstrate the same morphologic and biochemical abnormalities characteristic of biopsied muscle, supporting the concept of a biochemically distinct primary myopathy in man.