Characterization of two common 5' polymorphisms in <it>PEX1 </it>and correlation to survival in PEX1 peroxisome biogenesis disorder patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mutations in PEX1 are the most common primary cause of Zellweger syndrome. In addition to exonic mutations, deletions and splice site mutations two 5' polymorphisms at c.-137 and c.-53 with a potential influence on PEX1 protein levels have been described in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the <it>PEX1 </it>gene.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used RACE and in silico promoter prediction analysis to study the 5' UTR of <it>PEX1</it>. We determined the distribution of <it>PEX1 </it>5' polymorphisms in a cohort of 30 Zellweger syndrome patients by standard DNA sequencing. 5' polymorphisms were analysed in relation to the two most common mutations in <it>PEX1 </it>and were incorporated into a novel genotype-phenotype analysis by correlation of three classes of <it>PEX1 </it>mutations with patient survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We provide evidence that the polymorphism 137 bp upstream of the ATG codon is not part of the UTR, rendering it a promoter polymorphism. We show that the first, but not the second most common <it>PEX1 </it>mutation arose independently of a specific upstream polymorphic constellation. By genotype-phenotype analysis we identified patients with identical exonic mutation and identical 5' polymorphisms, but strongly differing survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study suggests that two different types of <it>PEX1 </it>5' polymorphisms have to be distinguished: a 5' UTR polymorphism at position c.-53 and a promoter polymorphism 137 bp upstream of the PEX1 start codon. Our results indicate that the exonic <it>PEX1 </it>mutation correlates with patient survival, but the two 5' polymorphisms analysed in this study do not have to be considered for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposes.</p>

Abstract licence: CC BY

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