Polymorphic changes in the KAL1 gene: Not all of them should be classified as polymorphisms

Abstract

The KAL1 gene has a closely related nonfunctional pseudogene on the Y chromosome; a high degree of X-Y sequence similarity is observed. Some individuals present a T to C substitution at position 1833 (exon 12). Because this nucleotide differs in the X (thymine) and in the Y (cytosine) chromosome, we investigated if this was truly a polymorphism, or if in some cases the Y sequence had been amplified. The complete sequence of exon 12 of KAL1 was analyzed in 11 Kallmann Syndrome (KS) males, in 50 normal males, in 50 normal females, and in 16 patients with Ullrich-Turner Syndrome (UTS). Nucleotide 1833 was found in a heterozygous or a homozygous state in KS, normal males and normal females; UTS patients were always homozygous. Of the 61 males, 17 were heterozygous, while 11 were TT and 33 were CC. With these observations we can not assure whether these patients present a "real" polymorphism. Besides, all males were heterozygous in nucleotides 1678, 1694, 1699, 1708 and 1825, whilst females were homozygous; and in these positions, KAL1 also differs from its pseudogene. These results indicate that we are identifying the X and the Y nucleotide and these variants are not polymorphisms. Sequence variations may be pseudogene products rather than true polymorphisms, so we should always determine if the position where the variation is located differs between KAL1 and its pseudogene, because it has been suggested that the presence of various polymorphisms in affected individuals could be the cause of KS.