A human homolog of bacterial acetolactate synthase genes maps within the CADASIL critical region

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Joutel, A.; Ducros, A.; Alamowitch, S.; Cruaud, C.; Domenga, V.; Marechal, E.; Vahedi, K.; Chabriat, H.; Bousser, M. G.; Tournier-Lasserve, E.

Source:

Genomics, Academic Press, Volume 38, Issue 2, p.192-198 (1996)

Call Number:

A96JOU01IDUS

Keywords:

herbicide use

Abstract:

CADASIL, a recently identified autosomal dominant condition characterized by the recurrence of subcortical infarcts leading to dementia, was previously mapped to chromosome 19p13.1 within a 2-cM interval, D19S226–D19S199. No recombination event was observed with D19S841, a highly polymorphic microsatellite marker isolated from a cosmid mapped to this region. The authors recently identified within this cosmid a conserved sequence that they used to screen a fetal brain cDNA library and isolated a ubiquitous and abundantly transcribed gene. They did not detect any mutation of this gene in CADASIL patients, suggesting that it is not implicated in this disorder. Interestingly, this gene encodes a putative protein homologous to several thiamine pyrophosphate-binding proteins previously identified in bacteria, yeast, and plants. The proteins with the highest degree of similarity were the acetolactate synthase enzymes which, in prokaryotes, are involved in the branched chain amino acid biosynthetic pathway, raising fascinating questions on the yet unknown function of this gene in mammals. [Note: see A00DUG01IDUS; possible issue for invertebrates or vertebrates regarding herbicide use in habitat restoration or invasive annual control?]