Mutations in the mu heavy-chain gene in patients with agammaglobulinemia.
Article Details
- CitationCopy to clipboard
Yel L, Minegishi Y, Coustan-Smith E, Buckley RH, Trubel H, Pachman LM, Kitchingman GR, Campana D, Rohrer J, Conley ME
Mutations in the mu heavy-chain gene in patients with agammaglobulinemia.
N Engl J Med. 1996 Nov 14;335(20):1486-93.
- PubMed ID
- 8890099 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Most patients with congenital hypogammaglobulinemia and absent B cells are males with X-linked agammaglobulinemia, which is caused by mutations in the gene for Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk); however, there are females with a similar disorder who do not have mutations in this gene. We studied two families with autosomal recessive defects in B-cell development and patients with presumed X-linked agammaglobulinemia who did not have mutations in Btk. METHODS: A series of candidate genes that encode proteins involved in B-cell signal-transduction pathways were analyzed by linkage studies and mutation screening. RESULTS: Four different mutations were identified in the mu heavy-chain gene on chromosome 14. In one family, there was a homozygous 75-to-100-kb deletion that included D-region genes, J-region genes, and the mu constant-region gene. In a second family, there was a homozygous base-pair substitution in the alternative splice site of the mu heavy-chain gene. This mutation would inhibit production of the membrane form of the mu chain and produce an amino acid substitution in the secreted form. In addition, a patient previously thought to have X-linked agammaglobulinemia was found to have an amino acid substitution on one chromosome at an invariant cysteine that is required for the intrachain disulfide bond and, on the other chromosome, a large deletion that included the immunoglobulin locus. CONCLUSIONS: Defects in the mu heavy-chain gene are a cause of agammaglobulinemia in humans. This implies that an intact membrane-bound mu chain is essential for B-cell development.