CLINICAL SCIENCE

Rapid mutation detection by the Transgenomic wave analyser DHPLC identifies MYOC mutations in patients with ocular hypertension and/or open angle glaucoma

C J Cobb¹, G Scott², R J Swingler³, S Wilson¹, J Ellis¹, C J MacEwen¹ and W H I McLean²

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
² Epithelial Genetics Group, Human Genetics Unit, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
³ Department of Neurology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Irwin McLean; Epithelial Genetics Group, Human Genetics Unit, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
wmclean{at}hgmp.mrc.ac.uk

Aims: To rapidly screen Scottish patients with a family history of open angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT) for mutations in the myocilin gene (MYOC) and develop a new rapid screening method for MYOC mutation detection.

Methods: All three exons of the MYOC gene were amplified by PCR from genomic DNA and subjected to direct DNA sequencing. Mutation detection methodology was also developed based on denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). A recurrent mutation was investigated by analysis of microsatellite haplotypes at the MYOC gene locus.

Results: Mutations were identified by DNA sequencing in four families. MYOC mutation Q368X was found in three kindreds and the fourth family carried the mutation G367R. The Q368X mutation was found to be associated with the same haplotype for markers closely flanking the MYOC gene. The mutations were identified by direct sequencing and were also readily detected by DHPLC analysis of PCR fragments, demonstrating that this is a robust method for MYOC analysis in future.

Conclusions: Mutations in the MYOC gene were identified in patients presenting with highly variable phenotypes from normal through OHT to severe OAG. Haplotype analysis showed that mutation Q368X is likely to be an ancestral mutation in this population. DHPLC analysis is an accurate, rapid and cost effective method for MYOC mutation analysis in large population samples.

Keywords: mutation detection; transgenomic wave analyser; MYOC mutations; ocular hypertension; open angle glaucoma

Abbreviations: OAG, open angle glaucoma; OHT, ocular hypertension; MYOC, myocilin gene; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; DHPLC, denaturing high performance liquid chromatography

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Fuja, T. J., Lin, F., Osann, K. E., Bryant, P. J. (2004). Somatic Mutations and Altered Expression of the Candidate Tumor Suppressors CSNK1{epsilon}, DLG1, and EDD/hHYD in Mammary Ductal Carcinoma. Cancer Res. 64: 942-951 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zichi, D., Koga, T., Greef, C., Ostroff, R., Petach, H. (2002). Photoaptamer Technology: Development of Multiplexed Microarray Protein Assays. Clin. Chem. 48: 1865-1868 [Full Text]