This is a proposal to identify and characterize genes whose products are necessary for the development of the central nervous system. The strategy is to identify genes in which mutations cause holoprosencephaly (HPE) in humans. HPE is associated with abnormalities in midline development of the brain and face. Severe forms of HPE present with a single brain ventricle and cyclopia while milder cases have mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Both familial and sporadic forms of HPE exist. Thus, the P.I. hypothesizes that HPE is caused by alterations in genes whose products are critical for proper early brain development. To address this hypothesis the P.I. has concerted molecular genetic analyses to those forms of HPA associated with cytogenetic deletions and translocations in 21q22.3 (HPE1), 2p21 (HPE2), 7q36 (HPE3), and 18p11.3 (HPE4). Recently, HPE3 was shown to be due to mutations in the human Sonic Hedgehog gene. Future efforts will be directed at five specific aims: 1) Map mutations in the human SHH gene in familial and sporadic HPE, 2) examine the biological consequences of the these mutations in SHH, 3) Determine whether other genes in the SHH signaling pathway are candidates for other forms of HPE, 4) Screen the critical chromosomal regions for HPE1 and HPE4 for candidate genes, and 5) Use positional cloning to identify and characterize HPE genes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01HD029862-04A1
Application #
2502634
Study Section
Mammalian Genetics Study Section (MGN)
Project Start
1994-12-01
Project End
2001-11-30
Budget Start
1997-12-08
Budget End
1998-11-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Department
Type
DUNS #
073757627
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Knepper, Jessica L; James, Alison C; Ming, Jeffrey E (2006) TGIF, a gene associated with human brain defects, regulates neuronal development. Dev Dyn 235:1482-90
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Schell-Apacik, Can; Rivero, Mariel; Knepper, Jessica L et al. (2003) SONIC HEDGEHOG mutations causing human holoprosencephaly impair neural patterning activity. Hum Genet 113:170-7
Orioli, Ieda M; Vieira, Alexandre R; Castilla, Eduardo E et al. (2002) Mutational analysis of the Sonic Hedgehog gene in 220 newborns with oral clefts in a South American (ECLAMC) population. Am J Med Genet 108:12-5
Ming, Jeffrey E; Kaupas, Michelle E; Roessler, Erich et al. (2002) Mutations in PATCHED-1, the receptor for SONIC HEDGEHOG, are associated with holoprosencephaly. Hum Genet 110:297-301
Brown, L Y; Odent, S; David, V et al. (2001) Holoprosencephaly due to mutations in ZIC2: alanine tract expansion mutations may be caused by parental somatic recombination. Hum Mol Genet 10:791-6
Nanni, L; Ming, J E; Du, Y et al. (2001) SHH mutation is associated with solitary median maxillary central incisor: a study of 13 patients and review of the literature. Am J Med Genet 102:1-10
Orioli, I M; Castilla, E E; Ming, J E et al. (2001) Identification of novel mutations in SHH and ZIC2 in a South American (ECLAMC) population with holoprosencephaly. Hum Genet 109:1-6
Nanni, L; Croen, L A; Lammer, E J et al. (2000) Holoprosencephaly: molecular study of a California population. Am J Med Genet 90:315-9
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