CRT expression correlates with the differentiation of NB and predicts favorable survival, thereby suggesting CRT to be a useful indicator for planning treatment of NB.

An 11-year-old girl presented with the phenotype of microcephaly, moderate mental retardation, motor retardation, short stature, strabismus, brachydactyly, and facial dysmorphism. She had undergone surgery for inguinal hernias. Detailed examinations of the heart and other internal organs revealed normal findings. Her karyotype was 46,XX,dup(5)(q35.2q35.3) de novo. Molecular cytogenetic analysis showed a paternally derived 5q35.2 --> q35.3 direct duplication and led to a correlation between the particular genotype and phenotype. This is the first description of a direct duplication of 5q35.2 --> q35.3. Our case represents the smallest distal duplication of chromosome 5q that is not associated with congenital heart defects. Our case also represents the smallest distal duplication of chromosome 5q that is associated with short stature and microcephaly. Mutations or deletions of the NSD1 gene, mapped to 5q35.2 --> q35.3, has been known to cause Sotos syndrome with cerebral gigantism, macrocephaly, advanced bone age and overgrowth. Our case provides evidence that the gene dosage effect of the NSD1 gene causes a reversed phenotype of microcephaly and short stature.

A girl presented with a phenotype including neonatal hypotonia, psychomotor retardation, mental retardation, short stature, and facial dysmorphism. She demonstrated common features of both 14q31-qter duplication and terminal 14q deletion. She had undergone surgery for patent ductus arteriosus and pyloric stenosis in infancy. Her karyotype was 46,XX,der(14) dup(14)(q32.3 q31.3)del(14)(q32.3). Molecular cytogenetic analysis showed a paternally derived 14q31.3-q32.3 duplication and a terminal 14q deletion and led to the correlations between a particular genotype and phenotype. This is the first description of a deletion and inverted duplication of 14q, and adds 14q to the growing list of the inverted duplication associated with a terminal deletion.

A minilibrary was constructed from DOP-PCR products using microdissected Y-chromosomes of Indian muntjac as DNA templates. Two microclones designated as IM-Y4-52 and IM-Y5-7 were obtained from negative screening of all three cervid satellite DNAs (satellites I, II, and IV). These two microclones were 295 and 382 bp in size, respectively, and shared approximately 70% sequence homology. Southern blot analysis showed that the IM-Y4-52 clone was repetitive in nature with an approximately 0.32-kb register in HaeIII digest. Sequence comparison revealed no similarities to DNA sequences deposited in the GenBank database, suggesting that the microclone sequences were from a novel satellite DNA family designated as cervid satellite V. A subclone of an Indian muntjac BAC clone which screened positive for IM-Y4-52 had a 3,325-bp insert containing six intact monomers, four deleted monomers, and two partial monomers. The consensus sequence of the monomer was 328 bp in length and shared more than 80% sequence homology with every intact monomer. A zoo blot study using IM-Y4-52 as a probe showed that the strong hybridization with EcoRI digested male genomic DNA of Indian muntjac, Formosan muntjac, Chinese muntjac, sambar deer, and Chinese water deer. Female genomic DNA of Indian muntjac, Chinese water deer, and Formosan muntjac also showed positive hybridization patterns. Satellite V was found to specifically localize to the Y heterochromatin region of the muntjacs, sambar deer, and Chinese water deer and to chromosome 3 of Indian muntjac and the X-chromosome of Chinese water deer.