摘要:
Disclosed are compositions and methods for aiding in the diagnosis of congenital muscular dystrophy associated with in-frame deletion in the laminin-2 .alpha.2 polypeptide chain in an individual. In a preferred diagnostic method embodiment, an experimental muscle tissue sample is provided from the individual and treated if necessary to render components available for antibody binding. The components of the sample are then separated on the basis of molecular weight. The separated protein components are then transferred to a solid support while maintaining the relative positions established in separation step. The transferred components are then stained with an affinity reagent which is known to bind to a C-terminal domain of the laminin-2 .alpha.2 polypeptide chain. Individual afflicted with congenital muscular dystrophy associated with in-frame deletion in the laminin-2 .alpha.2 polypeptide chain on the basis of positive staining in combination with reduced molecular weight of the laminin-2 .alpha.2 polypeptide chain relative to the wild-type laminin-2 .alpha.2 polypeptide chain. A preferred composition is a nucleic acid probe for the detection of merosin deletion-type congenital muscular dystrophy. The preferred nucleic acid probe is characterized by the ability to bind specifically to a mutant merosin nucleic acid sequence, the mutant merosin nucleic acid sequence comprising a T to C substitution at position 3973 +2 of the consensus donor splice site of exon 25.
摘要:
Disclosed herein is a substantially pure nucleic acid sequence encoding a mammalian 43 kDa non-dystrophin component (.beta.-sarcoglycan) of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Also disclosed are immunogenic peptides which, when used to immunize a mammal, stimulate the production of antibodies which bind specifically to the .beta.-sarcoglycan. Mutations in the .beta.-sarcoglycan gene which are associated with autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy are also disclosed. The identification of such mutations enables the design of nucleic acid probes which hybridize specifically to a mutant form of .beta.-sarcoglycan, or the complement thereof, but not to the DNA of the wild-type form of the gene (or the complement thereof), under stringent hybridization conditions. Such probes are useful, for example, in connection with the diagnosis of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. In addition, the identification of such mutations enables the diagnosis of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy through the use of direct DNA sequencing techniques.
摘要:
Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for the detection of primary adhalinopathy. More specifically, disclosed herein are nucleic acid probes which hybridize specifically, under stringent hybridization conditions, to a mutant adhalin gene or the complement thereof, but not to the corresponding region of a wild-type adhalin gene. Also disclosed are methods for the detection of a mutation in the human adhalin gene which is responsible for primary adhalinopathy. Such methods include the use of the nucleic acid probes of the invention for detection of the myopathy by hybridization, as well as detection by direct DNA sequencing techniques.
摘要:
Disclosed is a method for aiding in the diagnosis of merosin deficiency-type congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD). The method is based on the discovery of a previously unidentified form of CMD which is characterized by a substantial reduction in the levels of merosin in skeletal muscle tissue containing normal levels of dystrophin and dystrophin-associated proteins.
摘要:
Disclosed herein is a substantially pure nucleic acid sequence encoding a mammalian 35 kDa non-dystrophin component (&dgr;-sarcoglycan) of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Also disclosed are the amino acid sequence and an immunogenic peptide of &dgr;-sarcoglycan. The peptide when used to immunize a mammal, stimulates the production of antibodies which bind specifically to the &dgr;-sarcoglycan. Methods to identify mutations in the &dgr;-sarcoglycan gene associated with autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy are also disclosed. The identification of such mutations enables the design of nucleic acid probes which hybridize specifically to a mutant form of &dgr;-sarcoglycan, or the complement thereof, but not to the DNA of the wild-type form of the gene (or the complement thereof), under stringent hybridization conditions. Such probes are useful, for example, in connection with the diagnosis of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. In addition, the identification of such mutations enables the diagnosis of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy through the use of direct DNA sequencing techniques.
摘要:
Disclosed is a method for treating a patient suffering from the disease sarcoglycan-deficient limb-girdle muscular dystrophy by gene replacement therapy. Sarcoglycan gene replacement therapy produces extensive long-term expression of the sarcoglycan species which restores the entire sarcoglycan complex, results in the stable association of alph&agr;-dystroglycan with the sarcolemma, and eliminates the morphological markers of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for determining a specific defective sarcoglycan species in the tissue of a patient. The method involves culture of muscle cells obtained from the patient, and the independent introduction of expression vectors encoding each of the sarcoglycan species, &agr;, &bgr;, &ggr;, and &dgr;, into the cultured cells with subsequent assaying for restoration of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. In another aspect, the invention relates to a mouse, and cells derived therefrom, homozygous for a disrupted &agr;-sarcoglycan gene. The disruption prevents the synthesis of functional &agr;-sarcoglycan in cells of the mouse and results in the mutant mouse having no detectable sarcospan, &bgr;-, &ggr;-, &dgr;-sarcoglycan, and reduced &agr;-dystroglycan in the sarcolemma of skeletal and cardiac muscles, and a reduction of dystrophin in skeletal muscle, when compared to tissue of a mouse lacking a disrupted &agr;-sarcoglycan gene. In another aspect, the invention relates to methods for screening for therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of sarcoglycan-deficient limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. The methods involve administering a candidate therapeutic agent to a mouse, or cells derived therefrom, and assaying for therapeutic effects on the mouse or cells, with the determination of therapeutic effects being a reduction or reversal in disease progression, or a restoration of the dystroglycan complex.
摘要:
Disclosed herein is a substantially pure nucleic acid sequence encoding a mammalian 35 kDa non-dystrophin component (.delta.-sarcoglycan) of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Also disclosed are the amino acid sequence and an immunogenic peptide of .delta.-sarcoglycan. The peptide when used to immunize a mammal, stimulates the production of antibodies which bind specifically to the .delta.-sarcoglycan. Methods to identify mutations in the .delta.-sarcoglycan gene associated with autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy are also disclosed. The identification of such mutations enables the design of nucleic acid probes which hybridize specifically to a mutant form of .delta.-sarcoglycan, or the complement thereof, but not to the DNA of the wild-type form of the gene (or the complement thereof), under stringent hybridization conditions. Such probes are useful, for example, in connection with the diagnosis of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. In addition, the identification of such mutations enables the diagnosis of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy through the use of direct DNA sequencing techniques.
摘要:
Disclosed is alpha-dystroglycan protein (alpha-DG) in glycosylated and functional form. The disclosed alpha-DG binds to the basal lamina and to the sarcolemma of muscle fibers and may be injected into muscle and incorporated into muscle fibers in order to restore membrane integrity where the muscle fibers comprise a dysfunctional alpha-DG protein. Alpha-DG as disclosed herein may be utilized in pharmaceutical compositions and methods for treating diseases and disorders associated with or characterized by a dysfunctional alpha-DG, such as muscular dystrophy.
摘要:
Disclosed is a method for the prevention and/or treatment of muscle degeneration. In this method, a subject recognized as having muscle degeneration is treated with a composition effective to increase functional glycosylation of α-dystroglycan in an affected tissue in the subject. Functional glycosylation is to be increased to an extent wherein the binding of α-dystroglycan to its ligands in the affected tissue is rescued to levels substantially similar to those in an evenly matched tissue unaffected by degeneration. One effective means for increasing functional glycosylation of α-dystroglycan in a subject includes increasing glycosyltransferase activity, such as LARGE or LARGE2 activity, in the muscle of the subject. Therapeutic glycosylated peptide compositions are also provided.
摘要:
Disclosed are mammalian nucleic acid sequences encoding a neuronal-specific subunit of a voltage-gated calcium channel. Specifically disclosed are &ggr;2, &ggr;3 and &ggr;4 subunits. In other aspects, the disclosure relates to expression vectors which encode neuronal-specific subunits, as well as cells containing such vectors. In other aspects, the disclosure relates to antigenic fusion proteins comprising at least a portion of a mammalian neuronal-specific subunit of a voltage-gated calcium channel. Such fusion proteins are useful, for example, in the production of antibodies specifically reactive with the subunits of the invention. The nucleic acid sequences of the invention find application, for example, in screening for compounds which modulate the activity of neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels and also in diagnostic methods for diagnosing the autoimmune disease Lambert-Eaton Syndrome, as well as diagnosing defects in &ggr; subunit genes of a patient with a neuronal disease such as epilepsy. An additional application of the nucleic acid sequences of the invention is in therapeutic methods of treatment for such disorders.