Ashkenazi Jewish Population Research Articles

Identification of population substructure among Jews using STR markers and dependence on reference populations included.

BackgroundDetecting population substructure is a critical issue for association studies of health behaviors and other traits. Whether inherent in the population or an artifact of marker choice, determining aspects of a population's genetic history as potential sources of substructure can aid in design of future genetic studies. Jewish populations, among which association studies are often conducted, have a known history of migrations. As a necessary step in understanding population structure to conduct valid association studies of health behaviors among Israeli Jews, we investigated genetic signatures of this history and quantified substructure to facilitate future investigations of these phenotypes in this population.ResultsUsing 32 autosomal STR markers and the program STRUCTURE, we differentiated between Ashkenazi (AJ, N = 135) and non-Ashkenazi (NAJ, N = 226) Jewish populations in the form of Northern and Southern geographic genetic components (AJ north 73%, south 23%, NAJ north 33%, south 60%). The ability to detect substructure within these closely related populations using a small STR panel was contingent on including additional samples representing major continental populations in the analyses.ConclusionsAlthough clustering programs such as STRUCTURE are designed to assign proportions of ancestry to individuals without reference population information, when Jewish samples were analyzed in the absence of proxy parental populations, substructure within Jews was not detected. Generally, for samples with a given grandparental country of birth, STRUCTURE assignment values to Northern, Southern, African and Asian clusters agreed with mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal data from previous studies as well as historical records of migration and intermarriage.

Glucocerebrosidase Gene L444P mutation is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease in Chinese population

An association between mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene and Parkinson's disease (PD) has been reported in several populations. We searched for four common GBA mutations (L444P, F213I, R353W, and N370S) in 402 Chinese PD patients and 413 age- and sex-matched controls. In the PD cohort, 11 patients were found carrying a heterozygous GBA mutation and all of them had the L444P mutation. Heterozygous GBA mutations were detected none in controls. The GBA gene L444P mutation was detected at a significantly higher frequency among PD patients (11/402 = 2.74%), when compared with the control group (0/413): P = 0.0007. To evaluate the possible role of the GBA gene L444P mutation in PD in Ashkenazi Jewish and non-Jewish populations, we conducted a meta-analysis on the topic. In the Chinese population, the GBA gene L444P mutation was detected at a significantly higher frequency among PD patients, when compared with the control group: Z = 3.83, P = 0.0001, OR = 8.42, confidence interval = 95%, 2.83-25.06. In the non-Jewish populations, the difference was obviously significant: Z = 5.76, P < 0.00001, OR = 8.82, confidence interval = 95%, 4.21-18.48. The results suggest that the GBA gene L444P mutation appears to be a risk factor for PD in Chinese population.

Evaluation of a multi‐disease carrier screening programme in Ashkenazi Jewish high schools

A screening programme for Tay Sachs disease (TSD) carrier status was introduced in high schools in Victoria, Australia in 1997, and was expanded to screen for six other genetic conditions common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population in 2008. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current programme and compare it with an evaluation of the programme when screening was offered for TSD alone. All students from Jewish high schools in Melbourne who offered the programme in 2009 were invited to participate in the study. A purpose-designed questionnaire explored the following domains: knowledge (disease and genetics), reasons for screening, anxiety, and predicted negative feelings if found to be a carrier. Two hundred and seventy-three students were offered screening, and 272 (99.6%) completed the questionnaire. Only two students chose not to have screening. Two hundred and seventy-one students were in the penultimate year of high school (99.6%) and 222 were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (82.5%). The main reasons for choosing screening were the desire to know carrier status and convenience. Knowledge level decreased and negative feelings increased in the current cohort compared to that when screening was offered for TSD alone. We conclude that the current programme is efficient, although increasing the number of conditions resulted in a decrease in knowledge and increase in predicted negative feelings if found to be a carrier of one of the conditions. This has implications for multi-disease screening programmes that will increase in frequency as more conditions can be screened for and costs diminish.

Abstract 2975: Two putative founder MSH6 mutations associated with inherited cancer susceptibility in Ashkenazi Jewish population

Abstract Background Inherited mutations in DNA mismatch-repair genes are the cause of several cancers associated with Lynch syndrome. The most common mutations affect MLH1 and MSH2 genes, while the MSH6 gene is less commonly involved. Furthermore, MSH6 mutations have been observed to result in an attenuated form of the syndrome. We report here case-control studies of two putative MSH6 founder mutations in the Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) population. Methods Case-control studies were performed using DNA extracted from the blood of individuals of AJ descent presenting cancers compatible with Lynch syndrome and AJ individuals unaffected by cancer as controls. The DNA samples were screened for the presence of the two mutations in exon 9. The frequency of the mutations and the range of malignancies were analyzed. Results Among 2104 population-based AJ colorectal cancer cases (CRC), 8 carried a 4 bp duplication mutation, c.3984_3987dupl (0.38%), and 3 carried a 4 bp deletion mutation, c.3959_3962del (0.14%), in the exon 9 of the MSH6 gene. In comparison, 1 duplication (0.06%) and no deletions were observed in 1813 control individuals. The odds ratio for the c.3984_3987dupl and the c.3959_3962del in this population are OR = 8.64 (exact 95%CI 1.23-375, Fisher's exact test two-sided P = 0.04) and OR = NA, P = 0.25, respectively. Notably, the one control found to carry the duplication was, during the course of follow-up, diagnosed with both cecal and endometrial cancer. In a hospital-based series of 78 CRC, one individual carried the deletion, but no duplications were seen. Among 136 hospital-based AJ endometrial cancer cases, 2 carried the duplication, leading to an OR of 27.0 (95%CI: 1.39-1596, P = 0.014) when compared with the 1813 controls. In a series of 61 hospital-based AJ pancreas cancer cases, no duplication carriers were seen, but 1 individual carried the deletion (OR NA, P = 0.033). Notably, this individual developed 3 independent primary cancers - pancreas cancer, CRC and rhabdomyosarcoma. Testing for microsatellite instability and loss of MSH6 protein is in progress in these samples. Conclusion These rare, probable founder, MSH6 truncating mutations reported here are of great importance for the screening, genetic counseling and follow-up of Ashkenazi Jewish families presenting malignant tumors compatible with Lynch syndrome. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2975.

Gene-Gene Interactions Lead to Higher Risk for Development of Type 2 Diabetes in an Ashkenazi Jewish Population

BackgroundEvidence has accumulated that multiple genetic and environmental factors play important roles in determining susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D). Although variants from candidate genes have become prime targets for genetic analysis, few studies have considered their interplay. Our goal was to evaluate interactions among SNPs within genes frequently identified as associated with T2D.Methods/Principal FindingsLogistic regression was used to study interactions among 4 SNPs, one each from HNF4A[rs1884613], TCF7L2[rs12255372], WFS1[rs10010131], and KCNJ11[rs5219] in a case-control Ashkenazi sample of 974 diabetic subjects and 896 controls. Nonparametric multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) and generalized MDR (GMDR) were used to confirm findings from the logistic regression analysis. HNF4A and WFS1 SNPs were associated with T2D in logistic regression analyses [P<0.0001, P<0.0002, respectively]. Interaction between these SNPs were also strong using parametric or nonparametric methods: the unadjusted odds of being affected with T2D was 3 times greater in subjects with the HNF4A and WFS1 risk alleles than those without either (95% CI = [1.7–5.3]; P≤0.0001). Although the univariate association between the TCF7L2 SNP and T2D was relatively modest [P = 0.02], when paired with the HNF4A SNP, the OR for subjects with risk alleles in both SNPs was 2.4 [95% CI = 1.7–3.4; P≤0.0001]. The KCNJ11 variant reached significance only when paired with either the HNF4A or WFSI SNPs: unadjusted ORs were 2.0 [95% CI = 1.4–2.8; P≤0.0001] and 2.3 [95% CI = 1.2-4.4; P≤0.0001], respectively. MDR and GMDR results were consistent with the parametric findings.ConclusionsThese results provide evidence of strong independent associations between T2D and SNPs in HNF4A and WFS1 and their interaction in our Ashkenazi sample. We also observed an interaction in the nonparametric analysis between the HNF4A and KCNJ11 SNPs (P≤0.001), demonstrating that an independently non-significant variant may interact with another variant resulting in an increased disease risk.

Mucolipidosis Type IV: A Subtle Pediatric Neurodegenerative Disorder

The mucolipidoses are a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders. Mucolipidosis type IV is rare; it is seen predominantly in the Ashkenazi Jewish population and usually presents with global neurodevelopmental delays in infancy, subtle corneal opacifications or clouding, and very slowly progressive neurodegeneration over many years. Elevation of serum gastrin is reported; findings from x-rays of bone and joints and lysosomal studies are normal. Reported here are two cases of mucolipidosis type IV in children not of Ashkenazi Jewish origin who presented during infancy with nonspecific global psychomotor delays, generalized hypotonia, and mild corneal abnormalities, but remained undiagnosed for years. A rare gene mutation in MCOLN1 was confirmed in one of the two patients, in addition to abnormal serum gastrin levels. More striking was the length of time that these children eluded detection of their final diagnosis.

Haplotype-Based Analysis ofMDR1/ABCB1Gene Polymorphisms in a Turkish Population

The three functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MDR1 gene, C1236T, G2677T/A, and C3435T, exhibit an interpopulation difference. In this study, we analyzed the haplotype frequencies of these three SNPs in 107 unrelated healthy Turkish subjects and compared them with those of other reported populations. We found that C1236T, G2677T/A, and C3435T SNPs are expected to be structured in 10 different haplotypes, with 4 prominent haplotypes T-T-T (33.7%), C-G-C (25.0%), T-G-C (10.9%), and C-T-T (8.7%). There was a statistically significant linkage disequilibrium between all C1236T, G2677T/A, and C3435T SNPs (p < 0.0001); however, our results indicated that only loci 2677 and 3435 show relatively strong linkage disequilibrium (Lewontin's coefficient [D'] = 0.74, Pearson's correlation [r(2)] = 0.47). The haplotype frequency distribution of our study group was found to be significantly different from that in Han Chinese, Uygur Chinese, Kazakh Chinese, Indian, Malay, Japanese, Caucasian, and Ashkenazi Jewish populations (p < 0.0001). The results of this study may contribute to population-specific haplotype data on the MDR1 gene and may serve as a basis for studies on response to P-glycoprotein substrate drugs as well as for future association studies of certain diseases in Turkish population.

Constitutive Activity of the Human TRPML2 Channel Induces Cell Degeneration

The mucolipin (TRPML) ion channel proteins represent a distinct subfamily of channel proteins within the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of cation channels. Mucolipin 1, 2, and 3 (TRPML1, -2, and -3, respectively) are channel proteins that share high sequence homology with each other and homology in the transmembrane domain with other TRPs. Mutations in the TRPML1 protein are implicated in mucolipidosis type IV, whereas mutations in TRPML3 are found in the varitint-waddler mouse. The properties of the wild type TRPML2 channel are not well known. Here we show functional expression of the wild type human TRPML2 channel (h-TRPML2). The channel is functional at the plasma membrane and characterized by a significant inward rectification similar to other constitutively active TRPML mutant isoforms. The h-TRPML2 channel displays nonselective cation permeability, which is Ca(2+)-permeable and inhibited by low extracytosolic pH but not Ca(2+) regulated. In addition, constitutively active h-TRPML2 leads to cell death by causing Ca(2+) overload. Furthermore, we demonstrate by functional mutation analysis that h-TRPML2 shares similar characteristics and structural similarities with other TRPML channels that regulate the channel in a similar manner. Hence, in addition to overall structure, all three TRPML channels also share common modes of regulation.

Glucocerebrosidase mutations are not a common risk factor for Parkinson disease in North Africa

Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene ( GBA) have recently been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson disease (PD). GBA mutations have been observed to be particularly prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Interestingly, this population also has a high incidence of the Lrrk2 p.G2019S mutation which is similar in North African Arab-Berber populations. Herein, our sequencing of the GBA gene, in 33 North African Arab-Berber familial parkinsonism probands, identified two novel mutations in three individuals (p.K-26R and p.K186R). Segregation analysis of these two variants did not support a pathogenic role. Genotyping of p.K-26R, p.K186R and the common p.N370S in an ethnically matched series consisting of 395 patients with PD and 372 control subjects did not show a statistically significant association ( P > 0.05). The p.N370S mutation was only identified in 1 sporadic patient with PD and 3 control subjects indicating that the frequency of this mutation in the North African Arab-Berber population is much lower than that observed in Ashkenazi Jews, and therefore arose in the latter after expansion of the Lrrk2 p.G2019S variant in North Africa.

Development and Characterization of Reference Materials for MTHFR, SERPINA1, RET, BRCA1, and BRCA2 Genetic Testing

Well-characterized reference materials (RMs) are integral in maintaining clinical laboratory quality assurance for genetic testing. These RMs can be used for quality control, monitoring of test performance, test validation, and proficiency testing of DNA-based genetic tests. To address the need for such materials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Genetic Testing Reference Material Coordination Program (GeT-RM), which works with the genetics community to improve public availability of characterized RMs for genetic testing. To date, the GeT-RM program has coordinated the characterization of publicly available genomic DNA RMs for a number of disorders, including cystic fibrosis, Huntington disease, fragile X, and several genetic conditions with relatively high prevalence in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Genotypic information about a number of other cell lines has been collected and is also available. The present study includes the development and commutability/genotype characterization of 10 DNA samples for clinically relevant mutations or sequence variants in the following genes: MTHFR; SERPINA1; RET; BRCA1; and BRCA2. DNA samples were analyzed by 19 clinical genetic laboratories using a variety of assays and technology platforms. Concordance was 100% for all samples, with no differences observed between laboratories using different methods. All DNA samples are available from Coriell Cell Repositories and characterization information can be found on the GeT-RM website.

Population‐based Tay‐Sachs screening among Ashkenazi Jewish young adults in the 21st century: Hexosaminidase a enzyme assay is essential for accurate testing

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carrier screening, initiated in the 1970s, has reduced the birth-rate of Ashkenazi Jews with TSD worldwide by 90%. Recently, several nationwide programs have been established that provide carrier screening for the updated panel of Jewish genetic diseases on college campuses and in Jewish community settings. The goals of this study were to determine the performance characteristics of clinical TSD testing in college- and community-based screening programs and to determine if molecular testing alone is adequate in those settings. Clinical data for TSD testing were retrospectively anonymized and subsequently analyzed for 1,036 individuals who participated in these programs. The performance characteristics of the serum and the platelet Hexosaminidase assays were compared, and also correlated with the results of targeted DNA analysis. The serum assay identified 29 carriers and the platelet assay identified 35 carriers for carrier rates of 1/36 and 1/29, respectively. One hundred sixty-nine samples (16.3%) were inconclusive by serum assay in marked contrast to four inconclusive samples (0.4%) by the platelet assay. Molecular analysis alone would have missed four of the 35 carriers detected by the platelet assay, yielding a false negative rate of 11.4% with a sensitivity of 88.6%. Based on the results of this study, platelet assay was superior to serum with a minimal inconclusive rate. Due to changing demographics of the Ashkenazi Jewish population, molecular testing alone in the setting of broad-based population screening programs is not sufficient, and biochemical analysis should be the assay of choice.

The LRRK2 G2019S mutation as the cause of Parkinson’s disease in Ashkenazi Jews

Mutations in the leucine rich repeat kinase 2 gene (LRRK2) are recognized as the most common cause of genetic Parkinsonism to date. The G2019S mutation has been implicated as an important determinant of Parkinson's disease (PD) in both Ashkenazi Jewish and North African Arab populations with carrier frequency of 29.7% among familial and 6% in sporadic Ashkenazi Jewish PD cases. PD patients with the G2019S mutation display similar clinical characteristics to patients with sporadic PD. While the function of the LRRK2 protein has yet to be fully determined, its distribution coincides with brain areas most affected by PD. The G2019S mutation is believed to be responsible for up-regulation of LRRK2 kinase activity, which may ultimately play a role in neuronal loss. The utility of LRRK2 G2019S screening in family members of Ashkenazi PD patients is discussed. LRRK2 G2019S mutation carriers without PD may be an ideal population for the study of possible neuroprotective strategies as they become available, and for furthering the understanding of the pathogenesis and long-term clinical outcomes of the disease.

Type 2 Gaucher disease occurs in Ashkenazi Jews but is surprisingly rare

Patients with Gaucher disease (GD) are divided into three types based on the presence and rate of progression of the neurologic manifestations. While type 1 GD has a strong predilection in the Jewish Ashkenazi population, both other types lack such a propensity. We report the occurrence of type 2 GD (GD2) in four pregnancies in two Jewish families in Israel (in one case the mother was not Ashkenazi but was from a Sfaradi Jewish family) and also review seven additional cases of GD2 in Ashkenazi Jewish families reported in the literature. Phenotypically, GD2 in Ashkenazi Jews does not differ significantly from this form in other ethnic groups. Genotypic analysis of probands from the two Israeli families demonstrates that each carried two heterozygous glucocerebrosidase mutations. We could find no explanation why GD2 is so rare in the Jewish Ashkenazi population but we could hypothesize that homozygosity for certain Ashkenazi alleles might be lethal, leading to a lower than expected frequency of GD2 and noted that no cases of homozygous L444P has ever been described in Ashkenazi Jews

Population-based BRCA1/BRCA2 screening in Ashkenazi Jews: A call for evidence

testing in the Ashkenazi Jewish population,aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality of breast/ovariancancer, is seemingly an obvious candidate for such a screeningprogram. In Ashkenazi Jews, three common, easily tested mu-tations account for the majority of deleterious alleles, effectivepreventive measures for

Impact of BRCA mutations on female fertility and offspring sex ratio

Positive selection for inherited mutations in breast and ovarian cancer predisposing genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, may contribute to the high frequency of BRCA mutations among the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Impact of BRCA mutations on fertility has not been generally explored in epidemiologic studies. There are reports of distorted sex ratios in BRCA carrier families but these findings have been attributed to bias. We investigated the effect of BRCA mutations on female fertility and offspring sex ratio in a study of 260 Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer and 331 controls, unselected for age or family history of the disease. Pregnancy success was similar for 96 mutation carrier (0.84) and 164 noncarrier cases (0.87) and controls (0.83). After adjusting for covariates, there were no significant differences between BRCA carrier and noncarrier cases and controls with regards to fertility, despite lower pregnancy rates among all cases compared to controls (P = 0.0049). Male/female sex ratios were significantly lower among offspring of carriers (0.71) than offspring of noncarriers (0.95) or those of the controls (0.99). Comparisons among the three groups yielded statistically significant distortion against males among the offspring of known and obligate BRCA carriers compared to noncarriers (OR = 0.74, 95% CI:0.55-0.99) and controls (OR = 0.71, 95% CI:0.54-0.94). In conclusion, we did not find evidence for an effect of BRCA mutations on female fertility. We found a significant excess of females among the offspring of female carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Potential contribution of observed sex ratio distortions to positive selection for BRCA mutations may warrant further investigation.

Contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to breast cancer in Tunisia

e22191 Background: Hereditary breast cancer accounts for 3–8% of all breast cancers. It was recently estimated that a combination of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes mutations is responsible for 30% of hereditary breast cancer cases. Methods: To investigate the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations in breast cancer patients with affected relatives in Tunisia, 36 patients who had at least one first degree relative affected with breast and/or ovarian cancer were analysed. Thirty three patients are suggestive of BRCA1 mutation and 3 are suggestive of BRCA2 mutation. Results: Four mutations in BRCA1 gene were described among which, one novel splice site mutation (330 dupA) and 3 frameshift mutations including the 4160 delAG, the 2789 delG and the 5385 insC. Our study is the first to describe the 5385 insC mutation which was described only among Jewish Ashkenazi population. Two frameshift mutations (1537 del4 and 5909 insA) were screened in BRCA2 gene. Nineteen percent (7/36) of the familial cases were altered on BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes with deleterious mutations at heterozygous state and 55% (20/36) by mutation with uncertain value (UV) or by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Conclusions: Almost all the cases mutated by deleterious mutations on BRCA1 gene reported a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer in the index case or in their relatives. On the contrary, patients with an UV mutation or SNPs have no history of ovarian cancer in their corresponding families. Our data are the first to contribute to information on mutation spectrum of BRCA genes and offer a recommended screening mode for clinical genetic testing policy in Tunisia. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

APC allele-specific expression in carriers of Ashkenazi Jewish mutation I1307K

e22181 Background: I1307K is a missense APC variant with incomplete penetrance that has been found in 6% of Jewish Ashkenazi population and confers a two-fold increased risk to develop multiple adenomas and colorectal tumours. It is believed that it creates a hypermutable region within the gene that leads to an accumulation of mutations. It remains unknown whether the presence of this mutation modifies APC expression. Our goal was to study whether allele-specific expression (ASE) of I1307K is present at the germline and tumoral level. Methods: Paired germline/carcinoma RNA and DNA was studied from eleven I1307K carriers. To analyze changes in the mutant/wt allelic ratio we used single nucleotide primer extension (SNuPE) for the I1307K and the rs2229992 APCcoding SNP. Fourteen controls were also analyzed. Results: No germline allele specific expression was found in I1307K carriers (range=0.954–1.173). Significant ASE was observed in 8 of the 10 carcinomas analyzed. In 4 cases the I1307K allele was overexpressed (range=2.51–9.51) and in 4 cases was underexpressed (range=0.09–0.28). Tumor ASE correlated with the DNA mutant/wt allelic dose. Conclusions: I1307K variant is not associated with allelic specific expression at the germline level. I1307K overexpression is not selected for during tumor progression. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Potential Excess Mortality in BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers beyond Breast, Ovarian, Prostate, and Pancreatic Cancers, and Melanoma

BackgroundAlthough the increase in risk of developing breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers has been studied extensively, its impact on mortality is not well quantified. Further, possible effect of BRCA mutations on non-cancer mortality risk has not been examined.Methodology/Principal FindingsUsing mortality data from the relatives of 5,287 genotyped participants, of whom 120 carried a BRCA Ashkenazi Jewish founder mutation, in a community-based study of the Ashkenazi Jewish population in the Washington D.C area, we examined the association between the three Ashkenazi BRCA founder mutations and risk of overall and non-cancer mortality. To examine risks beyond the established effects of these mutations, we analyzed the data excluding both deaths and follow-up times after reported diagnosis of melanoma and cancer of the breast, ovary, prostate, and pancreas. Using an extension of the kin-cohort method that accounts for informative censoring, we estimated that, in the absence of breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, and melanoma, female carriers had a life expectancy that was 6.8 years lower (95% CI: 1.2–10.5) than non-carriers. In male mutation carriers, the reduction in life expectancy, in the absence of prostate and pancreatic cancers and melanoma, was 3.7 (95% CI: −0.4, 6.8) years. When deaths and follow-up times after any cancer diagnosis were excluded, the difference in life expectancy was 5.7 years for women (95% CI: −0.1, 10.4) and 3.7 years for men (95% CI: −0.4, 6.9). An overall test of association for men and women together showed a statistically significant association between BRCA1/2 mutations and increased non-cancer mortality (p = 0.024).Conclusions/SignificanceThese findings suggest that there may be unknown effects of BRCA1/2 mutations on non-neoplastic diseases that cause death at older ages.

Association between golli-MBP and schizophrenia in the Jewish Ashkenazi population: are regulatory regions involved?

Multiple studies have reported oligodendrocyte and myelin abnormalities, as well as dysregulation of their related genes, in brains of schizophrenia patients. One of these genes is the myelin-basic-protein (MBP) gene, which encodes two families of proteins: classic-MBPs and golli-MBPs. While the classic-MBPs are predominantly located in the myelin sheaths of the nervous system, the golli proteins are more widely expressed and are found in both the immune and the nervous systems. In the present study we performed a case-control association analysis of golli-MBP in two separate Jewish Ashkenazi cohorts (cohort I: 120 patients, 236 controls; cohort II: 379 patients, 380 controls). In addition we performed an expression analysis of golli-MBP mRNA in post-mortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex samples of schizophrenia patients, and matched controls. In the first cohort we observed association between six (out of 26 genotyped) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the disease (p<0.05). Of these, three are from one linkage disequilibrium (LD) block which contains a CTCF binding region. Haplotype analysis revealed significant 'risk'/'protective' haplotypes (strongest p=0.005, each) for schizophrenia. The three SNPs (rs12458282, rs2008323, rs721286) were then genotyped in the second cohort. The combined results showed strong effects, both in the single marker and in haplotype analyses (strongest OR 1.77, p=0.0005; OR 1.61, p=0.00001, respectively). Sequencing the CTCF binding region revealed three SNPs in complete LD with the associated haplotypes, located in close proximity to the CTCF binding site. Expression analysis found no significant differences in golli-MBP mRNA levels. These findings suggest that golli-MBP is a possible susceptibility gene for schizophrenia.

Fine Mapping on Chromosome 10q22-q23 Implicates Neuregulin 3 in Schizophrenia

Linkage studies have implicated 10q22-q23 as a schizophrenia (SZ) susceptibility locus in Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) and Han Chinese from Taiwan populations. To further explore our previous linkage signal in the AJ population (NPL score: 4.27, empirical p = 2 x 10(-5)), we performed a peakwide association fine mapping study by using 1414 SNPs across approximately 12.5 Mb in 10q22-q23. We genotyped 1515 AJ individuals, including 285 parent-child trios, 173 unrelated cases, and 487 unrelated controls. We analyzed the binary diagnostic phenotype of SZ and 9 heritable quantitative traits derived from a principal components factor analysis of 73 items from our consensus diagnostic ratings and direct assessment interviews. Although no marker withstood multiple test correction for association with the binary SZ phenotype, we found strong evidence of association by using the "delusion" factor as the quantitative trait at three SNPs (rs10883866, rs10748842, and rs6584400) located in a 13 kb interval in intron 1 of Neuregulin 3 (NRG3). Our best p value from family-based association analysis was 7.26 x 10(-7). We replicated this association in the collection of 173 unrelated AJ cases (p = 1.55 x 10(-2)), with a combined p value of 2.30 x 10(-7). After performing 10,000 permutations of each of the phenotypes, we estimated the empirical study-wide significance across all 9 factors (90,000 permutations) to be p = 2.7 x 10(-3). NRG3 is primarily expressed in the central nervous system and is one of three paralogs of NRG1, a gene strongly implicated in SZ. These biological properties together with our linkage and association results strongly support NRG3 as a gene involved in SZ.