We analyzed the SCA8 CTA/CTG repeat in a large group of Japanese subjects. The frequency of large alleles (85-399 CTA/CTG repeats) was 1.9% in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), 0.4% in Parkinson disease, 0.3% in Alzheimer disease, and 0% in a healthy control group; the frequency was significantly higher in the group with SCA than in the control group. Homozygotes for large alleles were observed only in the group with SCA. In five patients with SCA from two families, a large SCA8 CTA/CTG repeat and a large SCA6 CAG repeat coexisted. Age at onset was correlated with SCA8 repeats rather than SCA6 repeats in these five patients. In one of these families, at least one patient showed only a large SCA8 CTA/CTG repeat allele, with no large SCA6 CAG repeat allele. We speculate that the presence of a large SCA8 CTA/CTG repeat allele influences the function of channels such as alpha(1A)-voltage-dependent calcium channel through changing or aberrant splicing, resulting in the development of cerebellar ataxia, especially in homozygous patients.

SynopsisThe distributions of short-chaii branching in some commercial low-density polyethylenes have been investigated by measuring the degree of short-chain branching of their fractionated samples. The results obtained on the fractions which were fractionated with respect to molecular weight showed that some polyethylenes have broad distributions and others have narrow distributions, and these results have been considered to depend mainly on the polymerization conditions. These fractions of which the molecular weight is considered to be approximately uniform were further refractionated with respect to degree of short-chain branching, and thus cross-fractionations were accomplished. The distributions of short-chain branching in those parent fractions were also examined, and it was found out that the parent fractions have fairly broad distributions, and the distribution is broader when the molecular weight is lower, but the difference of distribution is not so great in the different samples. The distributions in those parent fractions showed close agreement with the theoretical distributions which were calculated on the basis of statistical branch formation. 907

Ferns are known to produce triterpenes, derived from squalene, that are synthesized by squalene cyclases (SCs). Among these, Colysis species produce onoceroids, the bis-cyclic skeleton of which can be cyclized from both termini of squalene. To gain insight into the molecular basis of triterpene structural diversity, cDNA cloning of SCs from C. elliptica and C. pothifolia was performed; this leads to the isolation of five SC cDNAs. Functional analysis of these clones revealed their enzymatic products to be hop-22(29)-ene, α-polypodatetraene, and hop-17(21)-ene. One of these clones (CPF) is a transcribed pseudogene with a 22-nucleotide deletion causing a nonsense mutation. To predict the inherent function of CPF, we constructed an insertion mutant of CPF that successfully converted inert CPF to the active SC, the product of which is fern-9(11)-ene. Subsequent mutations identified active-site residues that control the number of 1,2-hydride and methyl shifts.

No abstract