An MECP2 mutation can be identified in boys, even though they do not present a Rett syndrome phenotype.

No abstract

Background-Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder aVecting only girls; 99.5% of Rett syndrome cases are sporadic, although several familial cases have been reported. Mutations in the MECP2 gene were identified in approximately 70-80% of sporadic Rett syndrome cases. Methods-We have screened the MECP2 gene coding region for mutations in five familial cases of Rett syndrome and studied the patterns of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) in each girl. Results-We found a mutation in MECP2 in only one family. In the four families without mutation in MECP2, we found that (1) all mothers exhibit a totally skewed pattern of XCI; (2) six out of eight aVected girls also have a totally skewed pattern of XCI; and (3) it is the paternally inherited X chromosome which is active in the patients with a skewed pattern of XCI. Given that the skewing of XCI is inherited in our families, we genotyped the whole X chromosome using 32 polymorphic markers and we show that a locus potentially responsible for the skewed XCI in these families could be located on the short arm of the X chromosome. Conclusion-These data led us to propose a model for familial Rett syndrome transmission in which two traits are inherited, an X linked locus abnormally escaping X chromosome inactivation and the presence of a skewed XCI in carrier women. (J Med Genet 2001;38:435-442)

The unique LAMMER (or Clk) protein kinase of Drosophila is encoded at the Doa locus. To better understand the pleiotropic effects of Doa mutations, we describe the structure and expression of the multiple RNA and protein products of the locus, as well as their evolutionary conservation among Drosophila. The gene produces at least six different protein isoforms, primarily through alternative promoter usage, generating kinases with virtually identical catalytic domains but variable N-terminal noncatalytic domains. The single known alternative splicing event generates a kinase with the insertion of six additional amino-acids in the catalytic domain. Two independent predicted genes nested within Doa introns actually encode additional alternative N-termini of the locus. An alternative polyadenylation site utilized exclusively during early embryogenesis generates a transcript with a short half-life, apparently to ensure a "burst" of kinase expression at the onset of development. Ecdysone induction of Doa transcripts affects all isoforms during pupariation. Finally, extensive conservation of amino-acid sequences of both the catalytic and N-terminal noncatalytic exons observed in alignments between D. melanogaster exons and the genome sequences of 11 other Drosophila species suggest that the multiple isoforms serve important and nonredundant functions.