A recessive male sterile mutation (B2t8) that encodes a stable variant of the testis-specific beta 2-tubulin of Drosophila causes the assembly of aberrant microtubules both in vivo and in vitro. The B2t8 mutation appears to cause defects in the formation of interprotofilament bonds. In testes from homozygous mutant males, the most commonly observed aberrant structures were sheets of protofilame...

A polymorphism in FABP2 that results in an alanine-to-threonine substitution at amino acid 54 of the intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (IFABP) is associated with insulin resistance in Pima Indians. In vitro, the threonine form (Thr54) has a higher binding affinity for long-chain fatty acids than does the alanine form (Ala54). We tested whether this polymorphism affected metabolic responses ...

Abstract Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a hereditary dislipidemia. Patients present with extremely high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), which is due to mutation in the gene of LDL receptor. Homozygous patients (HoFH) whose incidence is 1 in 1.000.000 are at high risk of premature aortic valve stenosis, and coronary artery atherosclerosis. In homozygous individual...

Background and Aims: Ficolins are proteins that bind to carbohydrates, act as opsonins and play an important role in innate immunity. Polymorphism in ficolin-3 gene (FCN3) can lead to complement deficiency and increase the risk of some disorders such as diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of FCN3+1637delC as a single nucleotide polymorphism in this gene in healthy a...

SLC19A3 deficiency, also called thiamine metabolism dysfunction syndrome-2 (THMD2; OMIM 607483), is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in SLC19A3, the gene encoding thiamine transporter 2. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in SLC19A3 deficiency and whether administration of high-dose thiamine prevents neurodegeneration, we generated ...

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is one of the most common genetic diseases and caused by mutations in SERPINA1 gene. The homozygous Pi*Z variant responsible for majority classic severe form alpha-1 deficiency, which characterized markedly decreased levels serum (AAT) with a strong predisposition to lung liver disease. diagnosis early treatment AATD-associated disease are challenges clinic...

A homozygote for the gene controlling Hb D Punjab is described. The diagnosis is supported by the peptide analysis of the haemoglobin and the examination of both parents. There was no anaemia or reticulocytosis and there was balanced synthesis of both the alphaA- and betaD-globin chains in reticulocytes. However, the oxygen affinity of the haemolysate had a small but significantly higher oxygen...