rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2001;85:969-975 doi:10.1136/bjo.85.8.969
  • Original Article
    • Clinical science

Evaluation of the G protein coupled receptor-75 (GPR75) in age related macular degeneration

  1. Christian G Sauera,
  2. Karen Whitea,
  3. Heidi Stöhra,
  4. Tiemo Grimma,
  5. Amy Hutchinsonb,
  6. Paul S Bernsteinc,
  7. Richard Allan Lewisd,
  8. Francesca Simonellie,
  9. Daniel Pauleikhofff,
  10. Rando Allikmetsb,
  11. Bernhard H F Webera
  1. aInstitute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Germany, bDepartments of Ophthalmology and Pathology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, cMoran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, dDepartments of Ophthalmology and of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA, eEye Clinic, Second University of Naples, Italy, fAugenabteilung, St Franziskus-Hospital, Münster, Germany
  1. Bernhard H F Weber, Institute of Human Genetics, Biocenter, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germanybweb{at}biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
  • Accepted 8 March 2001

Abstract

BACKGROUND A long term project was initiated to identify and to characterise genes that are expressed exclusively or preferentially in the retina as candidates for a genetic susceptibility to age related macular degeneration (AMD). A transcript represented by a cluster of five human expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived exclusively from retinal cDNA libraries was identified.

METHODS Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses confirmed preferential retinal expression of the gene, which encodes a G protein coupled receptor, GPR75. Following isolation of the full length cDNA and determination of the genomic organisation, the coding sequence of GPR75was screened for mutations in 535 AMD patients and 252 controls from Germany, the United States, and Italy. Employed methods included single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), and direct sequencing.

RESULTS Nine different sequence variations were identified in patients and control individuals. Three of these (–30A>C, 150G>A, and 346G>A) likely represent polymorphic variants. Each of six alterations (-4G>A, N78K, P99L, S108T, T135P, and Q234X) were found once in single AMD patients and were considered variants that could affect the protein function and potentially cause retinal pathology.

CONCLUSION The presence of six potential pathogenic variants in a cohort of 535 AMD patients alone does not provide statistically significant evidence for the association of sequence variation in GPR75with genetic predisposition to AMD. However, a possible connection between the variants and age related retinal pathology cannot be discarded. Functional studies are needed to clarify the role of GPR75 in retinal physiology.

Footnotes

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF

    Responses

    1. Submit a response
    2. No responses published

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.