A gene, ATM, that is mutated in the autosomal recessive disorder ataxia telangiectasia (AT) was identified by positional cloning on chromosome 11q22-23. AT is characterized by cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, chromosomal instability, cancer predisposition, radiation sensitivity, and cell cycle abnormalities. The disease is genetically heterogeneous, with four complementation groups that have been suspected to represent different genes. ATM, which has a transcript of 12 kilobases, was found to be mutated in AT patients from all complementation groups, indicating that it is probably the sole gene responsible for this disorder. A partial ATM complementary DNA clone of 5.9 kilobases encoded a putative protein that is similar to several yeast and mammalian phosphatidylinositol-3' kinases that are involved in mitogenic signal transduction, meiotic recombination, and cell cycle control. The discovery of ATM should enhance understanding of AT and related syndromes and may allow the identification of AT heterozygotes, who are at increased risk of cancer.

We show that hypomorphic mutations in hMRE11, but not in ATM, are present in certain individuals with an ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder (ATLD). The cellular features resulting from these hMRE11 mutations are similar to those seen in A-T as well as NBS and include hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation, radioresistant DNA synthesis, and abrogation of ATM-dependent events, such as the activation of Jun kinase following exposure to gamma irradiation. Although the mutant hMre11 proteins retain some ability to interact with hRad50 and Nbs1, formation of ionizing radiation-induced hMre11 and Nbs1 foci was absent in hMRE11 mutant cells. These data demonstrate that ATM and the hMre11/hRad50/Nbs1 protein complex act in the same DNA damage response pathway and link hMre11 to the complex pathology of A-T.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a human autosomal recessive disorder of childhood characterized by: (1) progressive cerebellar ataxia with degeneration of Purkinje cells; (2) hypersensitivity of fibroblasts and lymphocytes to ionizing radiation; (3) a 61-fold and 184-fold increased cancer incidence in white and black patients, respectively; (4) non-random chromosomal rearrangements in lymphocytes; (5) thymic hypoplasia with cellular and humoral (IgA and IgG2) immunodeficiencies; (6) elevated serum level of alphafetoprotein; (7) premature ageing; and (8) endocrine disorders, such as insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus. A DNA processing or repair protein is the suspected common denominator in this pathology. Heterozygotes are generally healthy; however, the sensitivity of their cultured cells to ionizing radiation is intermediate between normal individuals and that of affected homozygotes. Furthermore, heterozygous females are at an increased risk of breast cancer. These findings, when coupled with an estimated carrier frequency of 0.5-5.0%, suggest that (1) as many as one in five women with breast cancer may carry the AT gene and that (2) the increased radiation sensitivity of AT heterozygotes may be causing radiation therapists to reduce the doses of radiation used for treating cancer in all patients. To identify the genetic defect responsible for this multifaceted disorder, and to provide effective carrier detection, we performed a genetic linkage analysis of 31 families with AT-affected members. This has allowed us to localize a gene for AT to chromosomal region 11q22-23.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER), one of the major cellular DNA repair systems, removes a wide range of lesions in a multi‐enzyme reaction. In man, a NER defect due to a mutation in one of at least 11 distinct genes, can give rise to the inherited repair disorders xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne's syndrome or PIBIDS, a photosensitive form of the brittle hair disease trichothiodystrophy. Laboratory‐induced NER‐deficient mutants of cultured rodent cells have been classified into 11 complementation groups (CGs). Some of these have been shown to correspond with human disorders. In cell‐free extracts prepared from rodent CGs 1–5 and 11, but not in a mutant from CG6, we find an impaired repair of damage induced in plasmids by UV light and N‐acetoxy‐acetylaminofluorene. Complementation analysis in vitro of rodent CGs is accomplished by pairwise mixing of mutant extracts. The results show that mutants from groups 2, 3, 5 and XP‐A can complement all other CGs tested. However, selective non‐complementation in vitro was observed in mutual mixtures of groups 1, 4, 11 and XP‐F, suggesting that the complementing activities involved somehow affect each other. Depletion of wild‐type human extracts from ERCC1 protein using specific anti‐ERCC1 antibodies concomitantly removed the correcting activities for groups 4, 11 and XP‐F, but not those for the other CGs. Furthermore, we find that 33 kDa ERCC1 protein sediments as a high mol. wt species of approximately 120 kDa in a native glycerol gradient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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