GPD1-L is a novel gene that may affect trafficking of the cardiac Na+ channel to the cell surface. A GPD1-L mutation decreases SCN5A surface membrane expression, reduces inward Na+ current, and causes Brugada syndrome.

BACKGROUND Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure and death. The etiology of DCM is genetically heterogeneous. OBJECTIVES We sought to define the prevalence of mutations in the RNA splicing protein, RBM20, in a large cohort with DCM, and to determine if genetic variation in RBM20 is associated with clinical outcomes. METHODS Subjects included in the GRADE (Genetic Risk Assessment of Defibrillator Events) study were at least 18 years of age, had an ejection fraction of ≤ 30%, and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The coding region and splice junctions of RBM20 were screened in DCM subjects; two common polymorphisms in RBM20, rs942077 and rs35141404, were genotyped in all GRADE subjects. RESULTS 1465 subjects were enrolled in the GRADE study and 283 with DCM were screened for RBM20 mutations. The mean age of subjects with DCM was 58 ± 13 years, 64% were male and the mean follow up was 24.2 ± 17.1 months after ICD placement. RBM20 mutations were identified in eight subjects with DCM (2.8%). Mutation carriers had a similar survival, transplantation rate, and frequency of ICD therapy compared to non-mutation carriers. Three of eight subjects (37.5%) with RBM20 mutations had atrial fibrillation (AF) whereas 19 (7.4%) subjects without mutations had AF (p= 0.02). Among all GRADE subjects, rs35141404 was associated with AF (minor allele OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44–0.86, p=0.006). In the subset of GRADE subjects with DCM, rs35141404 was associated with AF (minor allele OR 0.58, p=0.047). CONCLUSIONS Mutations in RBM20 were observed in approximately 3% of subjects with DCM. There were no differences in survival, transplantation rate, and frequency of ICD therapy in mutation carriers.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex disease involving several genetic and environmental components. Genetic studies have yet to identify all the genes involved in the pathogenesis of AD. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a candidate gene for AD. It is a multifunctional cytokine whose overexpression has been shown to promote the deposition of amyloid-beta peptide. The goal of this study was to investigate the association of three polymorphisms in TGF-beta1 with the risk of AD. Two of the polymorphisms are located in the 5' region at positions -800 (G-->A) and -509 (C-->T), and the third is in exon 5 at codon 263 (Thr-->Ile). We screened DNA samples from 428 sporadic, late-onset patients and 421 controls by PCR-based assays. There was no statistically significant difference in genotype or allele frequency distributions between cases and controls for the -800 or codon 263 polymorphisms (P=0.38 and P=0.60, respectively). The overall genotype distribution at the -509 site was significantly different between cases and controls. (P=0.017). The frequency of the -509/TT genotype was significantly higher in AD patients than controls (P=0.015). We further tested whether this polymorphism may alter the regulation of the TGF-beta1 gene using dual luciferase reporter assay. We subcloned the 5' flanking region, which contained the -509 C/T polymorphic sites, in front of the firefly luciferase reporter gene in pGL-3 basic vector and co-transfected with the pRL-CMV vector containing Renilla luciferase gene as a control for transfection efficiency in COS-1 cells. The activity of each promoter allele was directly measured by the ratio of firefly luciferase activity to Renilla luciferase activity. The -509 T allele was associated with marginally higher transcriptional activity of TGF-beta compared with the -509 C allele (P=0.051). These data suggest that the -509 polymorphism of TGF-beta1 may be modestly associated with the risk of AD. However, these data should be interpreted with caution as the differences associated with the -509 alleles in both the genetic association and the transfection studies were modest.