Turner Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Turner Syndrome, including details on symptoms, causes, chromosomes, prognosis.

Identification of a major recombination hotspot in patients with short stature and SHOX deficiency.

Schneider KU, Sabherwal N, Jantz K, Röth R, Muncke N, Blum WF, Cutler GB, Rappold G

Institute of Human Genetics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Human growth is influenced not only by environmental and internal factors but also by a large number of different genes. One of these genes, SHOX, is believed to play a major role in growth, since defects in this homeobox-containing gene on the sex chromosomes lead to syndromal short stature (Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis, Langer mesomelic dysplasia, and Turner syndrome) as well as to idiopathic short stature. We have analyzed 118 unrelated patients with Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis and >1,500 patients with idiopathic short stature for deletions encompassing SHOX. Deletions were detected in 34% of the patients with Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis and in 2% of the patients with idiopathic short stature. For 27 patients with Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis and for 6 with idiopathic short stature, detailed deletion mapping was performed. Analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction with the use of pseudoautosomal polymorphic markers and by fluorescence in situ hybridization with the use of cosmid clones. Here, we show that, although the identified deletions vary in size, the vast majority (73%) of patients tested share a distinct proximal deletion breakpoint. We propose that the sequence present within this proximal deletion breakpoint "hotspot" region predisposes to recurrent breaks.

Published 2 June 2005 in Am J Hum Genet, 77(1): 89-96.
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