Title: Teenage-onset non-syndromic deafness associated with a mutation and a polymorphism in the mitochondrial 12S ribsomal RNA gene in a large Zairese pedigree
Abstract: Non-syndromic deafness has been described as both an autosomal dominant and a recessive trait. Recently, Prezant et al. have identified a 1555 A to G substitution in the mitcohondrial 12S rRNA gene associated with deafness, either in an early-onset form with a postulated recessive nuclear defect for phenotypic expression, or after treatment with aminoglycosides. We have analyzed samples from a large pedigree originating from the village KAI SINGINI in Bas-Zaire. Patients have a maternally inherited, sudden-onset and bilateral sensineuronal deafness before the age of 20. To the best of our knowledge, no aminoglycosides have been given to these individuals. Sequencing of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene revealed the presence of a homoplasmic 1555 A-G mutation in 8 patients tested. This mutation is invariably associated with a newly described T-C transition at 1420 in the same gene. The 1420 mutation was also found in 1 of 30 unrelated black individuals. It is phylogenetically less conserved than its neighboring bases and than the 1555 mutation. It has been speculated that the 1555 mutation results in greater susceptibility to the effects of aminoglycosides on translational fidelity in the mitochondrial ribosome. It remains to be investigated whether the substitution at 1420 contributes to themore » ribosomal malfunction and the disease phenotype. Our results add to previous evidence for the 1555 mutation as a pathogenic mutation in non-syndromic deafness. We are currently collecting further family data and samples. The analysis of the entire pedigree will shed light on the possible contribution of nuclear defects in the cochlear-specific damage by impairment of mitochondrial translation.« less
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
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