👤 Elizabeth A Thompson

SPINE (Structural Proteomics In Europe) was established in 2002 as an integrated research project to develop new methods and technologies for high-throughput structural biology. Development areas were broken down into workpackages and this article gives an overview of ongoing activity in the bioinformatics workpackage. Developments cover target selection, target registration, wet and dry laboratory data management and structure annotation as they pertain to high-throughput studies. Some individual projects and developments are discussed in detail, while those that are covered elsewhere in this issue are treated more briefly. In particular, this overview focuses on the infrastructure of the software that allows the experimentalist to move projects through different areas that are crucial to high-throughput studies, leading to the collation of large data sets which are managed and eventually archived and/or deposited. Show less

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is secreted postprandially and acts in concert with glucose to stimulate insulin secretion from the pancreas. Here, we describe a novel pathway for the regulation of GIP receptor (GIPR) expression within clonal beta-cell lines, pancreatic islets, and in vivo. High (25 mM) glucose was able to significantly reduce GIPR mRNA levels in INS(832/13) cells after only 6 h. In contrast, palmitic acid (2 mM) and WY 14643 (100 microM) stimulated approximate doublings of GIPR expression in INS(832/13) cells under low (5.5 mM), but not high (25 mM), glucose conditions, suggesting that fat can regulate GIPR expression via PPARalpha in a glucose-dependent manner. Both MK-886, an antagonist of PPARalpha, and a dominant negative form of PPARalpha transfected into INS(832/13) cells caused a significant reduction in GIPR expression in low, but not high, glucose conditions. Finally, in hyperglycemic clamped rats, there was a 70% reduction in GIPR expression in the islets and a 71% reduction in GIP-stimulated insulin secretion from the perfused pancreas. Thus, evidence is presented that the GIPR is controlled at normoglycemia by the fatty acid load on the islet; however, when exposed to hyperglycemic conditions, the GIPR is down-regulated, which may contribute to the decreased responsiveness to GIP that is observed in type 2 diabetes. Show less

A yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig has been constructed in 16p12.1-p11.2 that encompasses three loci (D16S288, D16S299, and D16S298) closely linked to the gene causing Batten disease or juvenile-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN3). The physical map has been ordered using 42 sequence tagged sites. Four genes, interleukin-4 receptor (IL4R), phenol-preferring phenol sulfotransferase (STP), monoamine-preferring phenol sulfotransferase (STM), and sialophorin (SPN), have been mapped to the YAC contig. A partial genomic restriction map has been constructed to confirm the order and distances between D16S298, predicted to be the locus closest to CLN3. The overlapping genomic clones are a valuable resource for cloning the Batten gene (CLN3) and other genes in the region. Show less

Haplotype analysis in a collaborative collection of 143 families with juvenile-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or Batten (Spielmeyer-Vogt-Sjögren) disease has permitted refined localization of the disease gene, CLN3, which was assigned to chromosome 16 in 1989. Recombination events in four maternal meioses delimit new flanking genetic markers for CLN3 which localize the gene to the chromosome interval 16p12.1-11.2 between microsatellite markers D16S288 and D16S383. This narrows the position of CLN3 to a region of 2.1 cM, a significant reduction from the previous best interval. Using haplotypes, analysis of the strong linkage disequilibrium that exists between genetic markers within the D16S288-D16S383 interval and CLN3 shows that CLN3 is in closest proximity to loci D16S299 and D16S298. Analysis of markers across the D16S288-D16S383 region in four families with a variant form of JNCL characterized histologically by cytosomal granular osmiophilic deposits (GROD) has excluded linkage of the gene locus to the CLN3 region of chromosome 16, suggesting that JNCL with GROD is not an allelic form of JNCL. Show less

The gene that is involved in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL), or Batten disease--CLN3--has been localized to 16p12, and the mutation shows a strong association with alleles of microsatellite markers D16S298, D16S299, and D16S288. Recently, haplotype analysis of a Batten patient from a consanguineous relationship indicated homozygosity for a D16S298 null allele. PCR analysis with different primers on DNA from the patient and his family suggests the presence of a cytogenetically undetectable deletion, which was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The microdeletion is embedded in a region containing chromosome 16-specific repeated sequences. However, putative candidates for CLN3, members of the highly homologous sulfotransferase gene family, which are also present in this region in several copies, were not deleted in the patient. If the microdeletion in this patient is responsible for Batten disease, then we conclude that the sulfotransferase genes are probably not involved in JNCL. By use of markers and probes flanking D16S298, the maximum size of the microdeletion was determined to be approximately 29 kb. The microdeletion may affect the CLN3 gene, which is expected to be in close proximity to D16S298. Show less

CLN3, the gene for juvenile-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or Batten disease, has been localized by genetic linkage analysis to chromosome 16p between loci D16S297 and D16S57. We have now further refined the localization of CLN3 by haplotype analysis using two new microsatellite markers from loci D16S383 and SPN in the D16S297-D16S57 interval on a larger collaborative family resource consisting of 142 JNCL pedigrees. Crossover events in 3 maternal meioses define new flanking markers for CLN3 and localize the gene to the interval at 16p12.1-p11.2 between D16S288 and D16S383, which corresponds to a genetic distance of 2.1 cM. Within this interval 4 microsatellite loci are in strong linkage disequilibrium with CLN3, and extended haplotype analysis of the associated alleles indicates that CLN3 is in closest proximity to loci D16S299 and D16S298. Show less

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of autofluorescent lipopigment in neurons and other cell types. Inheritance is autosomal recessive. Three main childhood subtypes are recognized: infantile (Haltia-Santavuori disease; MIM 256743), late infantile (Jansky-Bielschowsky disease; MIM 204500), and juvenile (Spielmeyer-Sjögren-Vogt, or Batten, disease; MIM 204200). The gene loci for the juvenile (CLN3) and infantile (CLN1) types have been mapped to human chromosomes 16p and 1p, respectively, by linkage analysis. Linkage analysis of 25 families segregating for late-infantile NCL has excluded these regions as the site of this disease locus (CLN2). The three childhood subtypes of NCL therefore arise from mutations at distinct loci. Show less

Batten disease, juvenile onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by accumulation of autofluorescent lipopigment in neurons and other cell types. The disease locus (CLN3) has previously been assigned to chromosome 16p. The genetic localization of CLN3 has been refined by analyzing 70 families using a high-resolution map of 15 marker loci encompassing the CLN3 region on 16p. Crossovers in three maternal meioses allowed localization of CLN3 to the interval between D16S297 and D16S57. Within that interval alleles at three highly polymorphic dinucleotide repeat loci (D16S288, D16S298, D16S299) were found to be in strong linkage disequilibrium with CLN3. Analysis of haplotypes suggests that a majority of CLN3 chromosomes have arisen from a single founder mutation. Show less

The gene for Batten disease (CLN3) has been mapped to human chromosome 16 by demonstration of linkage to the haptoglobin locus, and its localization has been further refined using a panel of DNA markers. The aim of this work was to refine the genetic and physical mapping of this disease locus. Genetic linkage analysis was carried out in a larger group of families by using markers for five linked loci. Multipoint analysis indicated a most likely location for CLN3 in the interval between D16S67 and D16S148 (Z = 12.5). Physical mapping of linked markers was carried out using somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ hybridization. A mouse/human hybrid cell panel containing various segments of chromosome 16 has been constructed. The relative order and physical location of breakpoints in the proximal portion of 16p were determined. Physical mapping in this panel of the markers for the loci flanking CLN3 positioned them to the bands 16p12.1----16p12.3. Fluorescent in situ hybridization of metaphase chromosomes by using these markers positioned them to the region 16p11.2-16p12.1. These results localize CLN3 to an interval of about 2 cM in the region 16p12. Show less