Difference in allelic expression of the CLCN1 gene and the possible influence on the myotonia congenita phenotype.

Morten Dunø, Eskild Colding-Jørgensen, Morten Grunnet, Thomas Jespersen, John Vissing, Marianne Schwartz

60 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mutations in the CLCN1 gene, encoding a muscle-specific chloride channel, can cause either recessive or dominant myotonia congenita (MC). The recessive form, Becker's myotonia, is believed to be caused by two loss-of-function mutations, whereas the dominant form, Thomsen's myotonia, is assumed to be a consequence of a dominant-negative effect. However, a subset of CLCN1 mutations can cause both recessive and dominant MC. We have identified two recessive and two dominant MC families segregating the common R894X mutation. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR did not reveal any obvious association between the total CLCN1 mRNA level in muscle and the mode of inheritance, but the dominant family with the most severe phenotype expressed twice the expected amount of the R894X mRNA allele. Variation in allelic expression has not previously been described for CLCN1, and our finding suggests that allelic variation may be an important modifier of disease progression in myotonia congenita.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Journal of Human Genetics
Volume12
Issue number9
Pages (from-to)738-43
Number of pages5
ISSN1018-4813
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2004

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