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Clinical Chemistry 43: 427-435, 1997;
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(Clinical Chemistry. 1997;43:427-435.)
© 1997 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc.


Articles

Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis with high throughput modifications, and its use in mutation detection in familial hypercholesterolemia

Steve E. Humphriesa, Vilmundur Gudnason, Ros Whittall, Ian N. M. Day and for the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry Scientific Divison: Committee on Molecular Biology Techniques

Centre for Genetics of Cardiovascular Disorders, University College of London Medical School, Department of Medicine, The Rayne Institute, 5 University St., London WC1E 6JJ, UK.
a Author for correspondence. Fax + 44 171 209 6212, e-mail s.humphries{at}medicine.ucl.ac.uk


   Abstract
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
The identification of the specific mutation causing an inherited disease in a patient is the framework for the development of a rationale for therapy and of DNA-based tests for screening relatives. We present here a review of the single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) method, which allows DNA fragments that have been amplified with specific primers and PCR to be scanned rapidly for any sequence variation. The general principles of the method are described, as are the major factors that must be considered in developing an optimal SSCP strategy, namely the length of the PCR fragment and the temperature of the gel run. Options for sample denaturing gel characteristics and detection of DNA fragments are discussed. In addition, several modifications are presented that have been developed for high-throughput mutational analysis. The application of these techniques to screen for mutations in the LDL receptor gene in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia are described.


Key Words: indexing terms: microtiter array diagonal gel electrophoresis • polymerase chain reaction • LDL receptor gene • inherited disease


   Introduction
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
The purpose of this report is to illustrate the use of the single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) technique for mutation screening in the LDL receptor gene and to discuss several adaptations of published methods that improve throughput and that we believe are appropriate for a disorder such as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).1 In the next few years such techniques will be helpful in tackling molecular diagnosis and family tracing in the large number of multifactorial disorders where gene–environment interaction, low penetrance, late onset of symptoms, and genetic heterogeneity mean that high-throughput approaches for mutation screening are required for the development of cost-effective genetic tests. Several methods have been published that allow rapid comparison of the sequence of specific fragments of DNA amplified by PCR from different individuals (1)(2), and we have found SSCP analysis to be the most useful.


   General Principles of the SSCP Technique
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
The SSCP technique (3) is a method capable of identifying most sequence variations in a single strand of DNA, typically between 150 and 250 nucleotides in length. Under nondenaturing conditions a single strand of DNA will adopt a conformation (presumably dependent on internal base-pairing between short segments by foldback) that is uniquely dependent on its sequence composition. This conformation will usually be different if even a single base is changed. Most conformations seem to alter the physical configuration or size sufficiently that, even though the variant sequence has the same charge, the configuration-to-charge (size-to-charge) ratio is different enough to be detectable as a mobility difference upon electrophoresis through a retarding matrix such as acrylamide gel. Typically, the duplexes will be from the same PCR reaction for samples with possible genotypic differences. In many laboratories [{alpha}-32P]dCTP is incorporated during the PCR, and diluted PCR product is denatured by a brief boiling step, after which the sample is loaded on a nondenaturing "sequencing" (40 cm) acrylamide gel. The samples thus adopt a single-stranded secondary structure because of the formation of interstrand base pairing. However, although the samples have been diluted, they concentrate upon entry into the gel, and this allows some reannealing to take place. The considerations implicit in classical "Cot" studies of reannealing (concentration of each single strand, DNA complexity, and time) apply (4). Thus, to reduce the proportions of PCR product that reform as a double strand and reduce the amount available as single strand for polymorphism analysis, the sample needs to be relatively dilute. When using thin gels with small capacity for sample volume, this concentration consideration may limit the choice of DNA detection methods, with radioisotope detection being the method of choice because it is considerably more sensitive than ethidium bromide or even silver-staining methods.

The "classical" SSCP protocol thus includes 32P in the PCR mix for maximal detection sensitivity in the diluted sample, and a gel with a long track length for maximal resolution of small mobility differences in the DNA fragments (see Fig. 1 ). However, in the interests of higher efficiency of detection, greater convenience, or safety, several studies have been made with other protocols. Restriction digestion of a large PCR fragment before SSCP has been described (5). Multiplex PCR is also possible, and SSCP can be combined with allele-specific PCR (6)(7) to select alleles in complex sets (e.g., HLA genes), or with dideoxy chain termination to localize the approximate position of an SSCP variation in a sequence (8).



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Figure 1. SSCP of the 3' end of exon 4 of the LDL receptor gene.

Pattern of fragments seen from six disease-causing and one neutral (intron) mutation (C- = T + 24). The samples shown here are all from heterozygous patients, so all samples have normal and variant bands. The direction of electrophoresis is towards the +, which denotes the anode. SS denotes the single strands; the slowest migrating band is representative of one single strand, with the lowest band representing the other single strand (faint). The middle bands are "shadows" that are possible PCR artifacts. The different pattern of fragments that results from different mutations in the same PCR product can be seen.

In SSCP analysis, heteroduplex bands are often seen on the gel as a useful byproduct of the procedure (9). Reannealing to form double-stranded DNA has been discussed above, and when higher concentrations of single-stranded DNA are loaded, e.g., for nonisotopic detection methods, the double-stranded band is the predominant band. For human DNA (except for the sex chromosomes), a PCR product usually represents amplification from two alleles, one of each autosome of a pair. When a sequence variation is present in the heterozygous state, the classical SSCP picture would be of four single-stranded bands, the sense and antisense strands of the "normal" allele, and the altered mobility sense and antisense strands of the "variant" allele. In addition, reannealing to double strands permits four possible products, "normal" double strand, "variant" double strand, and two heteroduplexes ("normal" sense/"variant" antisense; and "normal" antisense/"variant" sense). The heteroduplexes have a mismatch "bubble" that often alters their mobilities relative to homoduplex, resulting in additional bands (see Fig. 1Up ). The combined efficiency of SSCP plus heteroduplex analysis for detection of sequence variations should be well in excess of the 80% estimated for each individually (2).

Since RNA base pairing is more stable than RNA-DNA base pairing, RNA might be expected to adopt a more conformational structure and hence be more sensitive to sequence changes. Published evidence suggests that this is the case (10) with detection of up to 95% of variations, but the inconvenience of making RNA strands (which involves the complexity and expense of introducing RNA polymerase promoters and extra reaction steps) for SSCP has precluded widespread use. For FH, a suitable source of RNA would be from lymphocytes, but success is dependent upon equal representation of mRNA concentrations from the normal and mutant allele, and with premature stop codons or splice-site mutations this may not be the case (V. Gudnason, unpublished).

In our experience there are four important variables that must be considered in designing an optimal SSCP strategy. These are the length of the PCR fragment, the effect of temperature of the gel run, the method of PCR denaturation, and the characterization of the gel. These will be examined in turn.

single-strand length
The optimal length of a single strand seems to be ~150–200 nucleotides (11). In this size range, 70–90% of single base substitutions are apparent on SSCPs. Presumably longer strands exhibit relatively less conformational change by a single base substitution, and shorter strands adopt less conformation in the first place. On average, the reverse complement of a particular four-base sequence will occur once every 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 = 256 nucleotides; thus it would be expected that a PCR single strand would contain quite a few possible sequences to form four-base double-stranded stems, but few significantly longer stems form perfect-match duplexes. Such segments would be expected to melt and hence lose any sequence-specific conformation below the melting temperatures at which 10–15-mer oligonucleotides dissociate from their target (12). The behavior of stem–loop folds would also be expected to depend on guanosine plus cytosine content, since the three-hydrogen-bond base pair, GC, is more heat-stable than the two-hydrogen-bond base pair AT. We have observed for exon 4 mutations in the LDL receptor gene that mobility shifts are more frequently apparent in the upper strand, and one explanation for this might be that the faster-migrating single strand, which is assumed to be more compact, has sufficient stability so as not to be much affected by a base change at the temperatures used. A better understanding of these factors would be of value to be able to make predictive analysis of specific sequences to maximize the mutation-detection efficiency of SSCP in a fashion similar to the preplanning of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis experiments (13).

effect of temperature
Several studies have reported the use of different temperatures for running SSCP, and typical conditions are either at room temperature, or 4 °C with 50 or 100 mL/L glycerol. As discussed above, the small regions of base pairing that are responsible for the conformation of the single strands and thus the potential polymorphisms are likely to have a melting temperature at or below the UK average room temperature, and our experience is that during hot weather the migration of bands changes considerably such that certain SSCPs are no longer detected. The use of 4 °C standardizes these conditions, but although we have not systematically investigated the effect of temperature control on band sharpness or detection rate of SSCPs, we and others have not found many additional SSCPs in samples run at other than our standard conditions (14)(15). Gels are routinely run at 5V/cm overnight at "room" temperature in an air-conditioned room, which is typically ~22 °C, with minima and maxima at 20 °C and 25 °C respectively. At this voltage, power per gel is ~4 W, and gel warming is insignificant. A more expensive option would be the use of a water-jacketed gel plate with a circulating water bath.

pcr product denaturation
For convenience, PCR products are used without purification, but spurious bands may result if the number of cycles is excessive or if there is excessive residual PCR primer that may anneal to single strands (16). By using high detection sensitivity for DNA (i.e., 32P), the number of PCR reaction cycles can be reduced (e.g., to 20) and the sample can be diluted 10–30-fold, which will minimize annealing between single strands or between single strands and PCR oligonucleotides. However, if less sensitive detection methods are used (see below), less dilution is possible; stronger denaturants added to the sample may help. Formamide, sodium hydroxide, urea, and methylmercuric hydroxide (17) have been used. Although toxic and requiring a fume hood, methylmercuric hydroxide appears to be the most effective. Most protocols involve heating the sample, immediate chilling on ice, then loading onto an apparatus between 4 °C and 25 °C. A top layer of gel with formamide incorporated has also been proposed to aid sample denaturation (18), but this does not avoid the strand reannealing that will occur when the single strands first enter the nondenaturing gel.

characteristics of the gel
Acrylamide is the commonly used matrix for DNA fragments in the SSCP size range. The ratio of acrylamide to bisacrylamide cross-linker, and the total acrylamide percentage, determine the sieving properties of the gel. The buffer conductivity and concentration also influence SSCP mobility, as do gel temperature and other additives such as glycerol. Several publications have detailed the different effects that these different conditions can have on resolving a particular sequence variation. Reduced cross-linker ratio (bis:acrylamide 1:49) and 50–100 mL/L glycerol are popular (19), although other protocols such as high-percentage gels can be useful (20). We have found (Gudnason, unpublished) that the latter is true for a 340-bp PCR fragment representing the 5' end of exon 4 of the LDL receptor gene. However, there is no adequate theoretical basis to explain the substantial influence of particular conditions in resolving certain SSCPs, although some studies of folding and single-strand mobility have been performed under nondenaturing and denaturing conditions (see references in refs. 21 and 22). Hydrolink is an acrylamide-like matrix polymerized by N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) and ammonium persulfate, which is reported to have a more uniform pore size and is claimed to give narrower bands and hence better resolution than acrylamide (9).

Reported gel lengths range between 5 and 50 cm. At present, most results are read by eye and therefore visible resolution is necessary. Although clear-cut mobility shifts (e.g., 10%) are demonstrable on short gels, a long electrophoresis may be necessary to resolve 0.5% mobility difference. Long electrophoresis has the disadvantages of needing a large apparatus, a higher voltage power pack, and more complex arrangements to set up and control temperature. A longer run broadens a band in accord with basic theory (effects of an imperfect matrix and diffusion), and this may be compounded for SSCP without proper temperature control (i.e., nonuniform conformation and hence nonuniform mobility). Nevertheless, when it is important to avoid false-negative results, long track length is advisable.


   Detection Methods for SSCP Single Strands
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
Autoradiography of dried gels for 32P incorporated during PCR as [{alpha}-32P]dNTP (or as [{gamma}-32P]ATP end-labeling of primers or of PCR product) involves the hazards and inconvenience of radioisotope usage. The main options that have been explored are silver staining (23)(24) and ethidium bromide fluorescence (18). Ethidium bromide intercalates with 5–10-fold higher affinity in double-stranded DNA, and is therefore not well suited to single strand detection. Nevertheless, ethidium bromide staining is a one-step process, and conditions to load sufficient single-stranded DNA have been achieved (17)(18). Sensitive silver-staining protocols are available for DNA, with detection down to 1–10 pg/mm2 (25). The catalytic process of silver reduction is initiated on DNA bases. A typical protocol involves deposition of silver nitrate on bands, then reduction of silver by formaldehyde and sodium carbonate to give a brown color. The reaction is stopped by acetic acid.

Large gels (e.g., 30 x 40 x 0.04 cm) are difficult to handle for postelectrophoretic staining. Binding the gel to one glass plate with {gamma}-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane is done for silver staining, but this renders gel recovery (as a dried image on Whatman 3-mm paper) very difficult. A photographic film-based process can take a direct imprint from the gel while simultaneously amplifying the signal (Promega, Southampton, UK). We find that our staining protocol can be used, with complete adherence of the gel to a glass plate, by using 4 µL/cm2 of 0.5% {gamma}-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane:0.5% glacial acetic acid:ethanol, and that the gel can then be reliably recovered onto Whatman 3-mm paper (26). The single-strand band intensity depends on PCR fragment sequence and size (some reanneal more readily than others) and tends to be faint.

A further possibility not yet fully explored is to blot the gel, most conveniently by "direct blotting." DNA is electrophoresed off the end of the gel onto a revolving blot (27), and then one of several methods of detection by hybridization can be used.

Automated DNA sequencers perform electrophoresis and detection on gels similar to manual sequencing gels. However, the detection system is usually fluorescence, either with oligonucleotides with fluorescent labels attached, or incorporating fluorescent nucleotides during polymerase reactions. Such apparatus can also be applied to SSCP by using fluorescent labels (28). The arguments pertinent to throughput, sensitivity of detection, and resolution are similar to those for automated sequencing (29). The main shortfalls are that one sequencer can only run one gel at a time, that there is high capital expenditure, that access to "primary data" is impossible if computer corrections for differential effect of different dyes on mobility are involved, and that there is the need for additional sophisticated workstations for secondary editing and interpretation of the data.


   Rapid Throughput Modifications for Sample Handling
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
We have made several major improvements in the techniques used for sample handling that allow SSCP or other such mutation analyses to be carried out in an extremely rapid manner (30). Tube handling and labeling time has been reduced by storing DNA from individual patients in a 96-well format. These arrays can easily be "replicated" 20–30 times in 96-well microtiter plates for subsequent PCR amplification and mutation screening or other genotyping. The use of 96-well microtiter arrays and compatible multichannel devices is well established for cell culture and for analytical reactions. There is no labeling of tubes and the plate is also the storage rack (with identity of sample being related to its position in the array). The storage of many such plates, each containing a small volume of pre-PCR template, in refrigerators or freezers is inconvenient and expensive. To overcome this problem, we allow the DNA templates to dry overnight at room temperature and store all such plates at room temperature. Additional advantages are that because the template DNA is dry, it has no volume to be taken into account when setting up the PCR reaction and it also reduces the probability of cross-contamination when using an automated multipipette to aliquot the PCR mix. Several wells are left empty of DNA in each array, so that cross-contamination can be monitored and control samples can be added when necessary. In several months of using this procedure, we have not found any cross-contamination. For samples from which repeated and different PCRs will be undertaken, this enormously reduces necessary staff time and any requirement for laboratory equipment for storage. We routinely adjust the DNA concentration in the master array to an average of 16 ng/µL water, so that obtaining 40 ng of dried DNA requires repeated pipetting of 2.5-µL aliquots with multichannel pipettes; it is much easier to pipette repeatedly 2.5 µL rather than 1 µL of a more concentrated stock with standard tips, and 2.5 µL is a small enough volume to dry in a few hours on standing at room temperature. Twenty replicas from one master array, consuming 96 tips in total rather than 20 x 96 tips, can be prepared with an eight-channel pipette by one worker in 2 h. Storage of pre-PCR dried plates at room temperature makes it possible to prepare many identical replicas in advance, when many different PCRs are planned from a given master array, whereas advance preparation of replicas would not be possible if there were a requirement for refrigeration or freezing.

The setup of these PCRs is extremely simple, since the sample has zero volume, so that unless the exact quantity of template DNA is critical, any volume of a PCR master mix containing all components except template DNA can be added to the well. The imprecision introduced by pipetting is also minimized. The making and distributing of a PCR mix and oil to all wells of a dried plate with a repeating dispenser takes one worker ~10 min. We have also recently described, for PCR checking and other analyses, a system for preparing and stacking open-faced horizontal polyacrylamide gels, in which the wells retain the 96-well array [microtiter array diagonal gel electrophoresis (MADGE)] (31).

We have also modified the gel system to allow a 5–10-fold higher throughput, and these modifications have been described in detail (30). Briefly, two gels are poured between one large glass sequencing plate (33 x 42 cm) and two outer smaller plates (33 x 39 cm), so that two gels can be subjected to electrophoresis simultaneously on one apparatus. Second, after first loading the gel, the samples are electrophoresed at 400 V until the bromphenol blue has run 2.5–3 cm, at which point the electrophoresis is stopped and a second set of SSCP samples is loaded in the same way as the first samples. Before loading the second time, the sharktooth comb is removed and repositioned half a well across from its original position. This enables the first and second loading bands to be distinguished more easily. The first and second loading single and double strands need to be nonoverlapping if the gel is to be informative. The calculation of the timing of the second loading is possible if the relative mobilities of the two single strands, one double strand, and marker dyes are already known for the set of conditions to be used. These mobilities were determined in a prior experiment with single loading. For repetitive loading to be applied to both the same and different exons, we prepared a computer simulation that allows the solution of equations relating relative mobilities for boundary conditions, including timing of loading, range of migration distance desired, and time delays between loadings (available from G.P. Weavind, 73064,3063@compuserve.com by e-mail request). Double loading the gel means that a whole 96-well microtiter array of samples may be analyzed on one gel. Finally, the sharktooth combs used are custom cut with 4.5-mm spacing tooth-to-tooth to allow the use of a multichannel pipette compatible with microtiter plates (9-mm well-to-well spacing) for loading the SSCP gels. This results in every second well being loaded with a multichannel pipette so that two adjacent columns or rows of a microtiter plate are interleaved (see Fig. 2 ).



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Figure 2. Autoradiograph of a double-loaded SSCP gel of exon 3 of the LDL receptor gene.

Exon 3 was amplified by PCR with primers flanking exon 3. The sequence of the 5' primer is 5'-TGACACTTCAATCCTGTCTCTTCTG and for the 3' oligonucleotide 5'-ATAGCAAAGGCAGGGCCACACTTAC, to give a product of 172 bp (4). Oligonucleotides were obtained from Genosys (The Woodlands, TX). The amplifications were performed in an automated thermal cycler (Hybaid Omnigene, Cambridge, UK) with Taq DNA polymerase (Gibco BRL, Paisley, UK) in a total volume of 20 µL and overlaid with 20 µL of paraffin oil, under previously described cycling conditions (30). The fragment was labeled by PCR amplification, with the addition of [{alpha}-32P]deoxycytosine triphosphate (800 Ci/mmol, 10 µCi/µL; Amersham, UK). Five microliters of the PCR mixture was diluted with 25 µL of 1 g/L sodium dodecyl sulfate and 10 mmol/L EDTA. Five microliters of this dilution was mixed with 5 µL of formamide dye (950 mL/L formamide, 20 mmol/L EDTA, 0.5 g/L bromphenol blue, 0.5 g/L xylene cyanol FF). The PCR DNA was denatured by boiling at 100 °C for 3 min, and then chilled immediately on ice. Samples (4 µL) were loaded onto a 7.5% polyacrylamide nondenaturing gel (ratio of acrylamide to bisacrylamide 49:1) in 1x Tris–borate EDTA (TBE) buffer, with 50 mL/L glycerol. Gels were 40 cm x 30 cm x 0.4 mm. Electrophoresis was at 200 V for 16 h at room temperature and the gel was then transferred onto Whatman 3-mm chromatographic paper, dried, and exposed to hyperfilm ß max (Amersham, UK) for 12–24 h at -70 °C before developing. The samples are run towards the anode (+). The gel shows the pattern of fragments from 29 FH heterozygous patients (14 in loading 1 and 15 in loading 2). From most samples, the same two single-stand bands and a (more intense) faster migrating double strand can be seen. The single and double strands of the first and second loadings are designated respectively on right and left, SS1, SS2, and DS, the double strands having migrated ~30 cm and the single strands ~20 cm in the gel. SSCP variants are apparent in one sample from the first loading and in one from the second loading, as indicated by arrows. Since each sample is from a heterozygous individual, these sample also show the normal bands, but fainter. For these SSCPs, no heteroduplex bands were seen.


   Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
FH is characterized clinically by an increase in the concentration of LDL cholesterol in blood, tendon xanthomata, and an increased risk of myocardial infarction, and is present in 5–10% of individuals who develop coronary artery disease under the age of 55 years in the UK and the US (32)(33). On the basis of the estimated population frequency of carriers of 1:500, there are >100 000 FH heterozygous individuals in the UK, of which probably <3000 have been identified to date. Once identified, the hyperlipidemia of these patients is responsive to treatment by diet and drugs (34), and such treatment reduces subsequent morbidity and mortality (e.g., 35). Children who have inherited two defective alleles of the LDL receptor occur at a frequency of one per million of the population. In these children there is usually little useful lowering of plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations in response to diet or drugs, and many suffer a major coronary event in the first or second decade of life, but life expectancy can be extended by appropriate treatment (36).

FH results from different genetic defects in a cell surface receptor, which normally controls the uptake of plasma LDL (1), or, in a small proportion of patients, one particular defect in the apolipoprotein (apo) B, the ligand for the receptor (37). This disorder, which is called familial defective apo B, has been reported to occur in ~3% of FH patients in the UK, and the mutation in the apo B gene causing it can be easily detected by PCR and allele-specific oligonucleotides.

For many heterozygous FH individuals, a clear diagnosis can be made on the basis of increased plasma cholesterol. However, several studies (e.g., 38) have shown that measures of total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol do not allow unequivocal diagnosis of FH in 10–15% of cases, and even measures of LDL receptor function on patients' monocytes show overlap between the values obtained for some "normal" individuals and patients with a defect in the receptor (39). By contrast, a genetic approach to identify LDL receptor defects gives an unequivocal result, and there is no doubt that the equivocal nature of the tests currently available to identify children with FH is one of the factors that deter some clinicians from actively pursuing such diagnosis in the relatives of a patient with FH. The advantage of an unequivocal DNA test would be both to allay fears for half of the relatives, and to identify children for whom monitoring dietary intake and appropriate therapy should be started.


   The LDL Receptor and LDL Receptor Gene Mutations
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
The LDL receptor is a membrane protein of 839 amino acids that is responsible for cholesterol uptake into cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins secreted by the liver (32). The LDL receptor binds two different ligands, apo B, which is the sole apoprotein of LDL, and apo E, which is found on the triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants. Once the LDL receptor has bound a ligand, it clusters in coated pits, where it is taken up by the cell via endocytosis. The ligand is released from the receptor in the lysosome and the receptor is then recycled to the cell surface, where it can bind a ligand again. The human LDL receptor gene was cloned and characterized >10 years ago (32). It is located on the short arm of chromosome 19 (p13.1–p13.3) and, as shown in Fig. 3 , spans 45 kb and comprises 18 exons and 17 introns. Five classes of mutations at the LDL receptor locus have been identified on the basis of the phenotypic behavior of the mutant protein, and to date there have been >200 different mutations of the LDL receptor gene characterized at the DNA level (reviewed in 40 and 41). They have given valuable insights into the function of the different domains in the LDL receptor.



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Figure 3. Distribution of 207 point mutations and small deletions/insertions in the LDL receptor gene in FH patients reported worldwide (up to Jan. 1996) (41).

The intron–exon structure of the gene is indicated by boxes (not to scale), and the function of the coding exons are indicated.

Within a geographically or culturally isolated population, or where a large proportion of people are related by descent because of migration, there may be a single mutation causing FH in many of the patients (for refs. see 40 and 41). In the UK, where there is a very heterogeneous population, a priori it is unlikely that any mutations will be present at a high frequency, and so far no mutation detected has been present at a frequency >2–3% (41). Because of the genetic diversity present, this is likely also to be the case in most countries in Europe or in the US. Although it would be feasible to develop methods to screen for reported mutations, our calculations demonstrate that it is more cost and time effective to use an approach such as SSCP that will allow any mutation in the LDL receptor gene to be detected, rather than to screen specifically for all mutations.


   Current Progress of SSCP Analysis on FH Research
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
With the modifications in sample handling described above, it has been possible to screen DNA from 800 FH patients for mutations in the LDL receptor at the rate of one exon per week, which occupies 3.5 research assistant days/week. The LDL receptor gene has 18 exons, and pairs of oligonucleotides and amplification conditions have been reported (42) that allow the amplification of the promoter plus coding portions of the entire gene in 22 fragments (exon 4 has to be amplified in three parts and exon 10 in two parts because of their size). In all cases the amplifying oligonucleotides are complementary to intron sequences, which therefore also allow comparison of the intron–exon boundary junction in patients, where mutations may cause defects in correct splicing of nuclear RNA. This has resulted in >170 SSCPs identified at a rate of 10–12 per week.

In some situations, we wish to undertake a large number of different PCRs simultaneously on the same DNA sample or on a small set, e.g., samples from four newly diagnosed FH patients. Instead of drying a different template in each well, drying a different premixed pair of PCR primers in each well is equally efficient in PCR yield (42). This suggests that little of the oligonucleotide is irreversibly bound to the plastic. The PCR premix is arranged to contain a template DNA instead of a primer pair, and an example of an SSCP autoradiograph from the simplified setup of 22 PCRs from the LDL receptor gene in four patients with FH is shown in Fig. 4 . Typical PCRs in this laboratory are currently 20 µL, with 40 ng of template DNA and 8 pmol of each PCR primer. Eight picomoles of a 20-mer primer represents ~48 ng, so that a dried DNA template plate contains 40 ng of DNA per well and a dried primer-pair plate contains 96 ng of oligonucleotide per well. Thus, on a weight basis, the layer of DNA dried onto the plastic is of the same order for the two strategies.



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Figure 4. Electrophoresis of PCR products from four independent heterozygous FH patient DNAs, using dried arrays of PCR primer pairs.

The PCR products are electrophoresed under SSCP conditions and are grouped by PCR product, i.e., by exon number, except for exon 4 (3 fragments) and exon 10 (2 fragments). Almost all PCR reactions yielded PCR product in all four samples. The lowermostband represents double-stranded DNA, the upper bands single strands. There are SSCPs in exon 2 that probably are caused by a common neutral (SfaN1) polymorphism and are not disease causing, in exon 6 (probable mutation in sample 4), in exon 10 3' (probable mutation in sample 3), and in exons 13 (known AvaII polymorphism) and 15 (MspI polymorphism). No mutation SSCP was detected in samples 1 and 2 in this run. Confirmation of the cause of the SSCPs can be carried out by direct sequencing of the PCR product (see text).


   Interpretation of DNA Results
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Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
Once a sequence change in a gene has been identified by SSCP, routine direct sequencing of amplified DNA is used to determine the precise change and to confirm its likely deleterious effect on the function of the protein. The ultimate proof that a mutation destroys function can only come from in vitro expression studies, but in most cases inspection of the mutation gives a clear indication of its likely effect, for example a change creating a premature stop codon, a frameshift mutation, or a large deletion or rearrangement of the gene that results in the generation of a truncated protein is very likely to be the cause of FH in this patient. In addition, a missense mutation that alters a critical amino acid, for example one that changes or adds a cysteine or some other nonconservative change, is very likely to result in a defective LDL receptor and therefore to be the cause of FH in this patient. However, more caution must be used with a missense mutation that causes a conservative amino acid change or occurs in a noncritical region of the protein. To date, all amino acid changes detected in the LDL receptor except one have been associated with functional effects, but since only FH patients have been studied extensively, the sample is biased and the conclusion may not always be true. The exception to this rule is the alanine370->threonine change, with the threonine allele occurring in 10% of healthy individuals and being associated with at best a mild phenotype in men (43). Therefore, such conservative missense mutations should be given a diagnosis of probably causing FH in the patient, unless they have been expressed in vitro and shown to cause either a defect in binding or in the number of LDL receptor molecules on the surface of the cell. Finally, with mutations in splice junctions, at intron–exon boundaries, within the promoter or upstream region, within introns, within the wobble position of amino acids, or within the 3' untranslated region, formally, all such mutation must be treated as possible or probable FH until expressed. However, where such a mutation has been detected in more than one patient with FH, and where the mutation occurs on different haplotypes (i.e., is an independent mutation), and is not detected in the general population, such a mutation can safely be designated as definite FH, but the predicted effect on LDL receptor function must be made with care. Thus a mutation in the conserved AG sequence that occurs within the intron side of the exon–intron boundary is extremely likely to be causing a splice defect, but it may not be possible to predict the exact effect on mRNA splicing and therefore LDL receptor function.


   Future Developments in SSCP Mutation Screening for FH
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 
Some patients will have no defect identified by the SSCP technique, although published data (e.g., 1) suggest that the sensitivity of the method is extremely high (80–90%). Some patients may have a major deletion or rearrangement of the gene, and in the UK the frequency of gross alterations (insertions and deletions) is ~5% (44); this is likely to be similar in other countries. Many of these gross alterations have occurred because of recombination between repetitive Alu-type elements, and detailed analysis indicates homologous recombination involving Alu sequences as the mechanism of the rearrangements. In the LDL receptor gene the deletions and insertions described are distributed over the whole of the gene, so there are no isolated hotspots that could be used to develop a simple rapid strategy for gross rearrangement detection. When screening large numbers of patients for mutations in the LDL receptor gene, Southern transfer will become the last line of investigation after identification of point mutations by faster and easier means, such as SSCP. In the case of already known rearrangement, PCR-based tests can be constructed to identify patients with that particular mutation. PCR-based tests may also eventually replace Southern transfer for assays for general rearrangement, analogous with methods established for the dystrophin (Duchenne) gene (45).

A proportion of the patients with no detected SSCP may have been misdiagnosed as having FH, but it is also possible that a (unknown) proportion of patients may have hypercholesterolemia caused by a defect in another gene. In such families it would be possible to use DNA polymorphisms and a "cosegregation" approach to confirm or exclude the inheritance of the LDL receptor gene with the hyperlipidemia phenotype, and only depending on the results to identify relatives who have inherited the defective allele of the LDL receptor gene. There are several bi-allelic PCRable restriction fragment length polymorphisms that can be used for this purpose (46), as well as some hypervariable repeat polymorphisms (47). These polymorphisms are also useful in haplotyping to prove recurrent mutations.

At the present time the majority of detected mutations are novel, indicating that general screening methods such as SSCP will continue to be useful for FH for some time. However, in patients in the UK, ~30% of all detected SSCPs occur in exon 4 and 18% in exon 3 (41). This suggests that a useful strategy will focus on familial defective apo B and exons 3 and 4, and that this would lead to the rapid detection of the specific mutation in 11–14% of patients. In other parts of the world where founder mutations have been identified, or if common mutations or "region-specific" mutations are detected, it is possible that, as with mutations causing thalassemia, a targeted or sequential approach to specific mutation testing will be useful in the future.


   Acknowledgments
 
I.N.M.D. was the recipient of a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship and now holds a Lister Institute Fellowship. S.E.H. is supported by a Chair award and Program grant RG16 from the British Heart Foundation, and V.G. by the Icelandic Council of Science. The work was also supported by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, Helen Eppel Fund, and John Pinto Foundation.


   Footnotes
 
1 Nonstandard abbreviations: SSCP, single strand conformational polymorphism; FH, familial hypercholesterolemia; and apo, apolipoprotein.


   References
Top
Abstract
Introduction
General Principles of the...
Detection Methods for SSCP...
Rapid Throughput Modifications...
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The LDL Receptor and...
Current Progress of SSCP...
Interpretation of DNA Results
Future Developments in SSCP...
References
 

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