Exome sequencing for molecular characterization of non-HFE hereditary hemochromatosis

Non-HFE hemochromatosis.

Non-HFE hemochromatosis

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive disorder classically related to HFE mutations. However, since 1996, it is known that HFE mutations explain about 80% of HH cases, with the remaining around 20% denominated non-HFE hemochromatosis. Nowadays, four main genes are implicated in the pathophysiology of clinical syndromes classified as non-HFE hemochromatosis: hemojuvelin (HJV,...

How mutant HFE causes hereditary hemochromatosis.

In this issue of Blood, Wu et al describe the molecular function of HFE, the gene most commonly mutated in hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). HH is the most frequent genetic disorder of the Western world. The authors show that HFE prevents ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of bone-morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor type I (Alk3), thereby increasing expression of this receptor on the ce...

Molecular basis of HFE-hemochromatosis

Iron-overload disorders owing to genetic misregulation of iron acquisition are referred to as hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). The most prevalent genetic iron overload disorder in Caucasians is caused by mutations in the HFE gene, an atypical MHC class I molecule. Recent studies classified HFE/Hfe-HH as a liver disease with the primarily failure in the production of the liver iron hormone hepci...

HFE gene knockout produces mouse model of hereditary hemochromatosis.

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common autosomal recessive disease characterized by increased iron absorption and progressive iron storage that results in damage to major organs in the body. Recently, a candidate gene for HH called HFE encoding a major histocompatibility complex class I-like protein was identified by positional cloning. Nearly 90% of Caucasian HH patients have been found t...